While each day we see news of another virus on the lose, another company having been brought to its knees by hackers, but how much do you know about your site security?

Recent research has shown that the vast number of web hosting customers do not even ask what level of security software their host providers have installed, some do not even know if they are protected. The problem is that many of us are of the opinion that “surely our host runs the latest security software”, when unfortunately this is not always the case.

Such is the competition in the sector that many of the smaller hosting companies have been forced to cut their costs to the bone, allowing them to offer their customers such competitive prices. It would be foolish to even consider a host did not have security high on their agenda, but maybe some of the smaller ones are waiting that little bit longer before buying the latest security software or maybe not upgrading as quickly as they would like to?

So what can you do to ensure your site has the best protection?

There are a number of questions you can ask, and depending upon the answers, you can then decide. Questions you should ask your potential host include :-

· What security software do you use at present?
· When was your security software last upgraded?
· When do you expect to upgrade your security software?
· Have you had any security issues in the recent past?

Using the answers to these questions, and some checking on the internet to see what kind of reputation you host has, you should be able to decide if they are the one for you..

It is essential that you know as much about your host as possible before you sign up, as they will be presenting your site to the world. Any security issues, hacks, or other such events will impact not only on your site, but on the reputation of your site. Would you really go back to a site which was being constantly hacked, and may not be there tomorrow?