Month: July 2020

Here are five indicators that suggest someone else might have taken over your identity.

You possess personal information such as your age, date of birth, educational background, medical history, and other sensitive details. It is imperative that this information remains confidential and is not disclosed to unauthorized persons. However, this information may be stolen in some cases, putting you at risk of identity fraud. 

If this happens, you may wonder what you can do to protect yourself and how you can identify if your identity has been stolen. One way to detect identity theft is by regularly monitoring your finances. But what are the signs you should look out for?

1. Your credit or bank account bill stops coming

Once a month, your bills arrive either on your doorstep or in your mailbox, unless you have opted for paperless billing. However, one day you may notice that your bills haven’t arrived at all. You may find nothing on your doorstep or in your email inbox. This could be a sign that your bills have been diverted.

If someone has stolen your identity, they may try to take advantage of your financial situation. In order to avoid being caught, they may take steps to protect themselves. One way of doing this is to make sure that they intercept your credit card bill or bank statement. They can do this by taking the letters from your postman or mailbox, or even by informing the bank that you have changed your address.

2. A debt collector calls about an account you didn’t open

It’s common to feel anxious when debt collectors call you, especially if you haven’t borrowed any money. However, if your personal information has been stolen and used for identity theft, you should expect such calls. Unfortunately, you may not receive any call until after a few defaults have been made, meaning the thief has been benefitting from your hard work for around three months. But you don’t have to worry too much because debt collectors can take action in cases of suspected identity theft. The process of reclaiming your identity can be initiated, but it will take some time.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

3. You’re unexpectedly refused credit

Have you been saving money for a deposit on a house, a new car, or perhaps a new iPhone? And when you finally apply for credit, you are refused, leaving you puzzled and frustrated. This could be because the maximum credit available to you has already been agreed upon, and someone has been masquerading as you. Your identity has been stolen, and your financial life has been destroyed. Every penny you could borrow has been stolen, and you would not have known about it until you tried to apply for credit. This type of incident often leads to the discovery of identity theft, which is one of the most common and devastating situations to find yourself in. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to your bank statements regularly.

4. Your credit report refers to checks and loans you didn’t apply for

Regularly accessing your credit report is an excellent way to monitor your loans and debts. Doing so lets you know how much you still owe on each commitment, which can help you plan for future expenses.

Your credit report can also show you if any credit checks have been made in your name. However, it can be a cause for concern if you haven’t applied for anything. So, why would these checks have been made?

Sometimes, credit checks are innocent and referred to as “soft checks.” For example, when you switch to a new energy provider. While it may be surprising, it’s not unusual. But, if complete credit checks have been made, this could be a sign of identity theft. Someone may have stolen your identity and is using it to borrow money in your name. They could be buying a car or a house or even withdrawing a large sum of money to disappear with.

(Image credit: ElasticComputeFarm / Pixabay)

5. You’re billed for medical treatment you didn’t receive or need

Medical fraud is a growing problem, with con artists, scammers, and identity thieves taking advantage of vulnerable patients. If you receive a bill for a service you did not use, it is a big warning sign that something is not right. However, you may not think to check your medical provider’s bill if you have not been ill. But what if you have been sick or needed treatment for an injury? If you submit a medical claim and find out that you have reached your benefits limit, it may be because someone has used your insurance to pay for their own treatment before you. It is important to be vigilant and report any suspected cases of medical fraud to avoid being a victim.

What to do after a data breach

It’s important to be aware that data breaches are common and can result in millions of user records being leaked, including personal data that might belong to you. This information is often sold on the Dark Web, which is a cause for concern.

Many companies, such as banks, card companies, PayPal, and Facebook, have been targeted by hackers. While a data breach doesn’t necessarily mean that your identity has been stolen, it does indicate that your personal information may be at risk.

If you hear about a data breach, it’s a good idea to contact the company that has been affected and ask for assurances about the safety of your details. If there’s money associated with your account, it should be covered, but it’s essential to confirm this.

In addition, you can use the Have I Been Pwned service to check whether your data has been involved in any other breaches. This will enable you to take appropriate action to safeguard your personal information.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Sapann Design)

How can I find out if someone is using my identity?

It’s possible to check if someone is using your identity by waiting for your bank account to be emptied, your credit card to be maxed out, or a new loan to be taken out in your name. However, it’s not wise to wait for that to happen. Instead, you can use credit monitoring tools provided by Experian and other credit reference agencies to check for unauthorized applications made in your name. You should also verify that your bank or credit card company offers SMS alerts for unusual spending patterns. It’s also important to check your social media accounts to ensure that you don’t have a digital twin.

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Using biometric authentication can provide protection against various scams and fraudulent activities.

With the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, people around the world are increasingly relying on e-commerce to purchase their day-to-day essentials. This has led to a rise in the sharing of personal information online, making individuals more vulnerable to identity theft. However, the use of unique biometric identifiers can help create verified digital identities for consumers, which can effectively prevent identity fraud. Self-sovereign identity technology can also assist in giving consumers ownership and control over their personal data. 

Unfortunately, fraud has become a common issue during the pandemic, and it looks like it will be a permanent fixture in the new normal. According to consumer reporting agency Experian, fraud has increased by 33% in the UK alone since April, with fraudulent credit card applications being one of the main infractions. On a global scale, phishing attacks – where attackers trick victims into revealing personal information – have increased by 600% in the first quarter of 2020. These attacks are often a precursor to credit card fraud, where attackers steal identification to use in fraudulent applications.

Data leaks and hacks are also on the rise. Last weekend, data belonging to 142 million guests of MGM Grand appeared online following a hack. With the personal information of millions up for sale on darknet markets, victims face the very real possibility of identity theft.

It isn’t just individuals being targeted either, retailers have also experienced their fair share of deception. Scams range from an uptick in targeted phishing activities with stolen credentials issued into the eCommerce payments chain to “friendly fraud,” which now accounts for 60-80% of chargebacks. Friendly fraud tends to increase in times of economic crisis. With people short of money and unable to pay bills, they turn to drastic measures such as deceptively claiming money back on purchased goods via credit cards.

The power of self-sovereign data

Identity theft isn’t anything new, of course. Even before the coronavirus, fraud statistics were scaling at pace. Per an FTC report, consumers reported losing more than $1.9 billion In 2019 due to fraud—a $293 million advance on the year prior. 

And it’s perhaps no wonder. As our data becomes ubiquitously tied to everything we do, identity thieves have more attack vectors than ever. And, to make matters worse, their techniques are becoming more sophisticated.

Per Javelin’s 2020 Identity Fraud Report, criminals are adapting to new technology devised to mitigate identity theft risk faster than consumers are adopting it. Fortunately, beyond the exploitable SMS-based two-factor verification techniques or dependence on enterprise-based legacy security systems, technology is quickly raising the bar.

Verified digital IDs will soon become the standard for individuals and businesses alike, outmoding passwords and other lackluster forms of authentication. Moreover, by linking to payment and interweaving the ideals of self-sovereign identity and decentralization, digital IDs can render ultimate control to the individual—leaving identity fraud in the past.

The importance of self-sovereign data and decentralization shouldn’t be undermined. Consumer concerns are mounting when it comes to data handling. In a recent survey undertaken by market researchers Opinium, 77% of respondents felt uneasy about multiple platforms holding personally identifiable information such as date of birth or their mother’s maiden name. And with ransomware attacks up some 900% this year and bad actors specifically targeting enterprise networks and their data, it’s perhaps no surprise.

While leveraging anomaly and malware detection can go a long way in mitigating attack vectors, these techniques don’t entirely target the issue at the root. Instead, we should be looking inward at how we, as individuals, can avoid becoming victims of fraud. Ironically, we can do so by quite literally looking inward—and harnessing our DNA.

Facing up to identity fraud

Biometrically validated personal IDs underlined by blockchain technology are the next logical step forward in fighting fraud.

By leaning on biometrics—something as simple as a fingerprint or face scan—we can bypass the need to provide passwords or detailed personally identifiable information to third parties and enhance our data security. And by storing any personal identity via an immutable, encryptable, and decentralized blockchain, we can both validate and secure data so it can be easily deployed while minimizing attack vectors. Tie this all together with payment, aBiometrically validated personal IDs underlined by blockchain technology are the next logical step forward in the fight against fraud. By relying on biometrics, such as fingerprints or face scans, we can avoid the need to provide passwords or detailed personally identifiable information to third parties, thus enhancing our data security. By storing personal identity information on an immutable, encryptable, and decentralized blockchain, we can both validate and secure data, making it easy to deploy while minimizing attack vectors. When combined with payment, this creates an impregnable verified digital ID that you-and only you-can control.

With this method, you’ll no longer have to worry about forgetting your password or losing your ID. Instead, your ID and critical personal data will follow you wherever you go because, essentially, it is you. The brilliance of this approach is that only the owner can use a biometrically verified ID. This eliminates any potential for fraud, while preserving privacy.

Digital identities verified by biometric authentication can protect people from many of the scams related to COVID-19, ultimately ending identity theft and enabling individuals to become more vigilant in protecting their private data.nd you get an impregnable verified digital ID which you—and nobody else but you—controls.

Those stomach-churning instances where you’ve forgotten your password, or even mislaid your ID will become a mere memory. Instead, your ID and critical personal data follow you wherever you go—because, essentially, it is you.

The brilliance of this method is, no one, besides the owner, can use a biometrically verified ID. This means that any potential for fraud is eliminated, and privacy remains preserved.

Digital identities, verified by biometric authentication, can protect people from many of the scams related to COVID-19, ultimately putting an end to identity theft and enabling individuals to become more vigilant in protecting their private data.

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In the pursuit of providing our readers the most comprehensive computing reviews, here’s how we evaluate and test computing devices.

TechRadar believes evaluating products based on their value proposition. As such, we review computing devices, including laptops, convertibles and desktops of all sizes against their own price and other options available on the market. Our review process is also underpinned by rigorous tests to determine the quality, performance and battery life of each machine.

Build quality

We begin by examining a laptop’s design and build quality to see how solid it feels to the touch and whether it fulfils the role it was designed for.

The overall build quality is important, so we go to great lengths to test the strength and durability of each system. We also assess the functionality of all ports, switches and latches. The quality of the screen is considered, with checks for brightness, evenness of tone, as well as any dead pixels identified.

The final part of our initial tests deals with the weight of the machine and its relative portability. Next, we assess the overall usability of the machine, including the quality of the keyboard, touchpad and overall user interface.

Updating and optimizing

Before we begin testing, every laptop gets updated with the latest patches, firmware updates and drivers. No device stays frozen in time and while this means benchmarking numbers are a constantly moving – and often, rising – target, it’s a part of our technological progress.

We also turn on “high performance mode” before testing. This ensures the integrated graphics as well as any other components inside the laptop are operating at their maximum performance. Similarly, we switch laptops to “balanced mode” in the power options before battery tests to ensure they don’t run out of juice prematurely in a setting that isn’t intended for use on battery.

Laptop and desktop benchmarks explained

As every device is tested using the same suite of benchmark tests, its performance can easily be compared against rival products. Each review is accompanied by the test results for that machine, as well comparisons to its closest competitors.

Before the hands-on part of our testing has been dealt with, the laptop will be run through a series of benchmarks to check overall performance. Each machine is set at the same high performance level for all tests save for battery life. This way, we can judge how effectively it will run at its maximum potential.

We use a number of synthetic tests to measure a laptop’s components. The first, PCMark 10 battery life, tests the device’s battery endurance. We then follow up with an anecdotal battery test further simulating real life usage: video playback. (Both of these are detailed in sections following this one.)

The PCMark 10 performance is conducted as well at the highest performance settings, testing its CPU and ability to multitask as well as render complex files and graphical elements. Meanwhile, 3DMark is specifically designed to test the strength of the laptop’s graphics processor(s) with various 3D modeling and game physics tests. Specifically, we run the Night Raid (aimed at gaming laptops and low-power devices), Time Spy (DirectX 12-enabled) and Fire Strike (pushing the high-end) 3DMark tests on each gaming device.

We then evaluate the CPU’s multi-core performance through Cinebench R23, which measures various hyperthreading capabilities. Geekbench 5 is also used to measure the CPU’s multi-core and single-core throughput.

We also run CrystalDiskMark 8 benchmarks to test the speeds of the included SSDs and hard drives. The speed of the drive inside a laptop or desktop PC has a huge impact on the overall performance of the device. The faster a drive is, the quicker the laptop boots up, apps open and large files can be saved and transferred.

Generally, if a laptop is meant for general computing use, we also test its “casual” gaming performance using the built-in performance benchmark in Sid Meyer’s Civilization VI, at its max settings and its lowest settings as close to 1080p resolution as a laptop will allow. We report the average frames per second for each to give a sense of how well the laptop can handle light gaming.

If we’re reviewing a proper gaming laptop or desktop, or sometimes a particularly powerful prosumer device, we use benchmark tools found in PC games like Cyberpunk 2077, Total War: Warhammer III, and Dirt 5 to truly tax those dedicated graphics chips to measure their performance. We run these tests at their highest and lowest settings at 1080p resolution, to give an idea of where the device’s boundaries of power are at the most common pixel count.

If we are dealing with a creative workstation which is designed for intense multimedia work like 3D rendering or video editing, we will also run some content creation benchmarks to measure relative performance, such as the Blender Open Data benchmark, as well as encoding a 4K video into a 1080p video using Handbrake and record how many frames per second it was able to process on average.

When it comes to testing Chromebooks, alongside using the device as our day-to-day  laptop, we run Chromebook-specific benchmark tests. These are Mozilla Kraken, which tests how well web browsers perform when using the internet (essential considering ChromeOS, the operating system used by Chromebook, are heavily based on Google’s Chrome browser), Speedometer, which measures how responsive web applications perform, and JetStream 2 which also looks at web application performance that mainly uses JavaScript and WebAssembly technology.

For testing Macs and MacBooks, we run Cinebench R24, Geekbench 6 and Blender benchmarks to test out CPU and GPU performance.

Each of these performance tests are run at least twice to ensure an accurate result. If two results for a test vary by more than 100 points, then we run the test a third time and take the average as the final score.

PCMark 10 battery life explained

This software tests mobile performance and battery life, simulating popular general tasks such as video chat, web browsing and document creation while the system is unplugged.

Firstly, all laptops are set to Balanced in the power options if possible. We also tweak some advanced settings, including telling the screen and hard drives to never sleep, we set the critical battery level to 5%. Most importantly, this test is conducted with the screen brightness and system volume set to 50%, with no radios active but Wi-Fi. Any additional lighting is disabled as well.

With the laptop’s battery fully charged, we disconnect the main power. PCMark 10 then simulates day-to-day use until the battery hits the critical 5% level and the computer shuts down. Before it does though, PCMark 10 will record the time it spent running the test, so we get an accurate representation of the real-world battery life, rather than an estimate.

4 hours: This either isn’t a very power-efficient machine, or wasn’t designed for endurance.7 hours: Generally Ultrabooks come in at around the long end of this time, as well as high-resolution laptops.10+ hours: Only the longest-lasting laptops can achieve this level of endurance or longer.

Anecdotal battery life explained

In addition to using PCMark 10 to create a synthetic measurement of battery life, we also test how long laptops can last through a regular day of use through a common task: video playback. In this real life test, we run a 1080p video on a continuous loop through VLC Player and measure the time until the battery is completely drained in hours and minutes.

We run the laptop from a full charge until the machine ultimately shuts down after the battery is fully exhausted.

This test is also conducted with the screen brightness and system volume set to 50%, with no radios active but Wi-Fi. Any additional lighting is disabled as well, and the power setting is set to Balanced if possible.

How TechRadar ranks its computing buying guides

The way in which TechRadar ranks the products within its buying guides for computing products relies heavily on the scores each product receives. This helps keep our recommendations consistent, but there are a few more details:

No product that receives fewer than 3.5 stars in a review can be eligible for inclusion in a buying guide.Rankings are determined by both score and any awards that products may have received in addition, in descending order.Ties in score are broken automatically by any additional awards via the following hierarchy: Best in Class, Editor’s Choice, Recommended and Great Value.Ties in both score and awards are broken exercising editorial judgment, based primarily on value.Any products that have yet to be reviewed in a buying guide are automatically ranked lowest until they have received a full review and are ranked accordingly.

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Why pay for a password manager when Chrome has a free one built in?

The Chrome password manager (officially titled Google Password Manager) is a free password management tool available within the Chrome web browser. It keeps a record of all the usernames, passwords, addresses, and payment methods that you use online.

Why is this useful? Using a single password on multiple websites is a big security risk; if one of those websites is hacked, your password for all of them is revealed. This is why security experts encourage users to have a different password for each website, but this can quickly leave you with dozens or even hundreds of passwords to keep track of. A password manager, like the Chrome password manager, simplifies this task.

Alongside the best antivirus software and the best firewall software, a good password manager can really improve your security and privacy. This is particularly true given that employees reuse a password an average of 13 times – that means that a single breach could compromise a lot of accounts. A password manager helps to reduce this possibility.   

Let’s take a closer look at the Chrome password manager and how to use it.

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How to install the Chrome password manager

Google Password Manager is installed automatically with the Chrome browser. You can download Chrome for Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and Mac OS for free. After downloading the installation file, run it and follow the instructions. 

You’ll be asked to create a new Google account or you can use an existing account. To create a new account, enter your full name, and choose a username that will be used as the basis for your Gmail email address. You can choose to supply a backup email address or phone number that can be used to recover your account if you lose access to it.

By default, the Chrome password manager will be enabled within Chrome. If you install Chrome on multiple devices, the usernames and passwords stored will automatically sync across all of them.

(Image credit: Google)

How to store passwords in Chrome

When you use the Chrome password manager, every time you enter a new username and password on a website, you’ll be asked whether you want to save them. You can even save multiple username and password combinations for each site, so you can use the Chrome password manager for multiple accounts.

Whenever you return to a website, the password manager will automatically fill in the login username and password for you. If you have multiple username and password combinations stored, you’ll be prompted to choose between them in a drop-down menu.

Managing your stored passwords in Chrome

You can add, edit, and remove any of the credentials stored in Chrome from within the browser. Click on your profile picture, which is near the top right of the browser interface. Then, click on the Passwords button, which looks like a key. There, you’ll find all your stored usernames and passwords.

You can also manage your passwords by heading to passwords.google.com.

Generating unique, strong passwords in Chrome

Creating strong, secure, unique passwords in Chrome is easy. When you sign up for a new website and are asked to create a password, click on the password text box and choose Suggest Strong Password. You’ll see the unique password that Chrome has generated for you, and it will be automatically filled in on the website and stored in the password manager.

If Suggest Strong Password doesn’t show up when you click the password box, try right-clicking on the password box and choosing Generate Password.

(Image credit: Google)

Checking the strength and security of your passwords

Chrome includes a handy tool that shows you if your current set of passwords is strong and secure. On Windows, choose Settings, click Safety Check, and select Check Now. This will scan all your current passwords and then generate a report on whether any have been exposed in a data breach. The report also advises when your passwords are weak or if you’ve reused the same password on multiple websites.

If any of your passwords have been exposed due to a data breach, change them at once. For maximum security, you should also replace any weak passwords or ones that you’ve reused across websites.

Is the Chrome password manager secure enough?

For many users, the built-in password manager in Chrome is quite secure. Your Google account can be protected with two-step authentication, making it difficult for anyone unauthorized to access your passwords.

But it does have a few limitations. It only works with the Chrome browser, so if you use other browsers, such as Firefox or Safari, then your passwords won’t autofill there. You can’t use the Chrome password manager to autofill passwords in desktop applications. There’s also no facility for securely sharing passwords with other members of your household. Most paid password managers include these features. 

Disabling Chrome password manager

If you use an alternative password manager, such as LastPass or Dashlane, you may want to disable the password manager in Chrome. You can do this by clicking on Settings, choosing Autofill, clicking on Passwords, and turning off the settings for Auto Sign-in and Offer to Save Passwords.

Included with Chrome

The Chrome password manager is a free password management tool built into the Google Chrome browser. While it doesn’t have some of the advanced features of our favorite password managers, it’s still a solid choice if you exclusively use Chrome as your web browser. It’s easy to use, works on virtually every website you’ll encounter, and requires no additional installation. It even has a password checkup tool that gives you a report on the security of your current passwords. Overall, Chrome password manager is a solid choice for keeping track of all the passwords you use online.

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Having trouble deciding which type of hosting to choose? We’ll explain all the important differences here.

The best web hosting for your website is defined by what you want to achieve. When I set up my first hosting solution I believed that getting a VPS and uploading WordPress to it was the cheapest option. I was wrong. Now, looking back I should have got one of the cheapest shared plans and that would have been sufficient for my very simple site with low quality images and not much content. You really don’t need much for a website that is basically just giving an address and proving you exist with very specific search terms.

If I tried that approach now with one of the sites I’m hosting I would fail miserably. The amount of storage space is simply not enough and there is a significant amount more to load on a page and the power isn’t there.

Choosing a VPS or shared hosting is the balance between how much you need and how much you want to pay. It makes sense that if you only need to use a small part of something then it’s cheaper to share a larger thing with others and if you’re buying in bulk you’re going to have some savings there.

Shared and VPS hosting overview

Shared hosting is a type of hosting plan which can house thousands of websites on a single server. It is known to be the most affordable web hosting option on the market. Shared hosting is similar to living in an apartment: You get your own space and you pay towards the upkeep of the communal areas and elevator.

When you rent an apartment, you agree to share the pool, the parking lot, the gym and so much more. When you purchase a shared hosting plan, you agree to share bandwidth and storage space with all the other tenants of the server.

This also means that you are directly affected by the actions of other tenants on your server. In an apartment, if a neighbour is moving our or in they could be moving lots of furniture up and down the stairs or constantly using the lift causing your guests some disruption when visiting your apartment.  

VPS hosting is a hosting service which houses websites in dedicated sections on the server. It is very similar to owning a condo. There are still several amenities which are shared, but you are responsible for the property maintenance and repairs on your own so it’s a bit more expensive but you won’t ever have to worry about your neighbours blocking up the stairs.

What are the advantages of shared hosting? 

Shared hosting is perfect for websites which do not require a large amount of resources and have minimal traffic. As resources are shared across all websites, this allows smaller websites that aren’t as resource-demanding to run efficiently. Also, you often get a bunch of freebies with shared hosting that you don’t get with a VPS such as a free domain name for one year.

All of the maintenance and updates for your server are completed automatically by your hosting company. This gives you more time to focus on your website content or further building out your website with a drag-and-drop website builder.

Getting started with shared hosting is a simple process and allows you to get your website live as quickly as possible and of course…the price is a huge advantage.

What are the advantages of VPS hosting?

Similar to shared hosting, VPS hosting has its own advantages. Since your website is on its own dedicated section of the server, you can control resources, install software and truly configure your VPS to comply with your website requirements.

Another advantage of VPS hosting is having root access. This allows for greater configuration as well as increased ease of VPS management and updates. Having the ability to fully customize your VPS will also allow for increased server security. You will be able to manage all security features for your VPS.

For websites that are growing, VPS hosting brings a whole new level of power and resources to the hosting world. This means when your website gets hit with a large increase in traffic, it won’t experience downtime, allowing you to focus on your visitors.

One major advantage of VPS hosting is higher performance with increased bandwidth and resources. This allows your website to load at superfast speeds and for your viewers to experience optimal performance.

What are the disadvantages of shared hosting? 

Security is a concern with shared hosting. Since your website is on a server with possibly thousands of other websites, there is no way to confirm that all security updates and maintenance tasks have been completed across each individual website. This can lead to a security risk as it is not possible to manage every CMS or the security of every website on the same server. While it’s unlikely you’re going to be cross infected by another user it is still a possibility/

It is not possible to perform server customization on shared hosting due to the ramifications that it could have on other customer websites. Due to this, you are required to use the standard server configuration.

What are the disadvantages of VPS hosting? 

Getting your website set up on VPS hosting can require some technical ability. Resource management and overall maintenance can be a bit complex throughout setup. This is where you need a hosting provider that can help you right away. Most hosting companies have 24/7 support, but after hours call are usually shipped overseas. If you feel you need a provider that understands the nuances of working in America, then you need to be sure to take a close look at 24/7 U.S. based support. You can mitigate this somewhat by getting managed VPS hosting but the initial set up is still more time consuming. This is something unavoidable though as naturally, if your site is more complex, you’re going to be using a VPS.

Shared vs VPS hosting in a nutshell

The key points of difference between the two can be boiled down to the following:

1. Resources: In shared hosting, as the name suggests, the server’s resources are shared between all the customers hosted on that particular server. On the other hand, a VPS, while technically being a part of a server, gives the impression of a dedicated server, thanks to its design. The advantage with VPS in terms of resources is that you’ll have access to a higher number of resources for your own private use as compared to shared hosting. This allows greater flexibility to scale your website.

2. Performance: A natural extension of the above is that access to a greater number of resources will result in better performance. While shared hosting providers use the latest hardware and software techniques such as SSDs and CDNs to guarantee performance, generally speaking you’ll get even better results with VPS. That’s because in VPS hosting, the performance of your website will not be affected by the pull on the resources by your neighbours as it is in shared hosting.

3. Security: Again, sharing resources also has a detrimental effect on security. While shared hosts do take adequate measures to ensure uptime, theoretically security breaches on a neighbour does compromise your integrity as well. With VPS hosting though you can take charge of the security of your website and take all necessary steps to thwart attacks.  

Which hosting type should I choose? 

The answer to this vital question is based on your website’s needs and goals. 

We recommend using shared hosting if:

You want to launch your website quickly. If you want to focus on getting your website live without worrying about server configuration, shared hosting is the best option. You have a limited or restricted budget. As shared hosting is known to be the least expensive, it can be a great hosting package for getting started. Your website does not require custom configurations. If you need something that’s a little against the norm then you’ll need to use a VPS to give you the freedom to customise.

We recommend using VPS hosting if:

Your website has large amounts of traffic. Providing high performance through increased resources and customization, VPS hosting can handle high traffic. You want greater freedom, performance, and speed. Bringing power and resources to your website, VPS hosting gives you the freedom to develop and build your website the way you prefer.   You want to install custom software and have full root access. VPS hosting allows you to fully customize your VPS exactly how you like it. With full root access, you can install any custom software. 

Conclusion 

Shared hosting is usually the best option for small websites to get started. It’s also the most affordable.

Whether you are an experienced website developer or a local business startup, VPS hosting should absolutely be considered. When choosing a hosting package for a larger website, VPS hosting is excellent in providing reliability, speed, as well as customization.   

The main deciding factors between shared hosting and VPS hosting are the website’s requirements, your technical understanding, and your budget.   

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Confused about which of these two types of hosting you need? This primer will help you make what can be a difficult decision.

There are various different types of web hosting and it is crucial that you choose the appropriate hosting package for your specific needs. Shared and WordPress hosting are two common types. How do you know which is best for you and your website? To help you figure this out, in this article, we are going to compare the two.

Overview

Shared hosting is most popular with smaller websites and blogs, and it’s one of the most common types of hosting because it is the most affordable and very user-friendly. If your website does not require a large amount of resources or server customization, shared hosting can be the perfect solution for your needs, and your gateway to the world wide web. 

The best WordPress hosting is designed to host websites which are using the WordPress content management system (CMS). Known for its speed, reliability, and increased security, WordPress hosting allows you to focus on your content while the host handles all of the technical server details. A subset of this is managed WordPress hosting which, as its name implies, is about helping time, knowledge or resource-poor organisations manage their WordPress installations better.

What are the advantages of shared hosting?

Shared hosting has many advantages, not only in terms of cost, but also in features. With most hosting providers, shared hosting offers unlimited storage space, so no matter how large your website may be, shared hosting can store everything.

Unlike WordPress hosting which is restricted to the WordPress CMS, shared hosting allows you to use almost any CMS. Whether you use Drupal, Magento, or a tool like DreamWeaver, shared hosting will support almost all content management systems and web development software.

Shared hosting is known to be the least expensive hosting, making it the most common.

What are the advantages of WordPress hosting?

WordPress hosting brings a whole new level of performance to your website. As it only houses WordPress websites, the server can be optimised in such a way as to allow for advanced server caching. This enables your website to perform at the highest possible speed. This speed optimisation can improve SEO which may ultimately boost your ranking on Google allowing you to be found by many more people.

Keeping your online home up to date is an important part of managing and running a successful website. WordPress hosting provides auto-updates, ensuring better security while giving you one less thing to worry about when it comes to your business’ website.

Also, with a managed WordPress provider, you get a support team that not only understands WordPress but are experts in it. Furthermore, the WordPress host will save you a lot of time and effort by taking care of basic site optimization on your behalf, so you don’t have to rely on a slew of plugins to achieve the same result. 

While plugins in themselves aren’t troublesome, it’s always a good practice to use as few as possible for better performance. And you can be sure that the WordPress hosting provider has carefully vetted the plugins to make sure they are of the highest quality and are fully secure.

Despite all these precautions, if something were to happen to your website, WordPress hosting generally provides free automatic backups. This gives you peace of mind, knowing that at any time you can restore your website to what it was in the past. The ease and worry-free features make WordPress hosting stand out from other hosting packages.

What are the disadvantages of shared hosting?

Shared hosting can host several hundred websites on one server, which can negatively affect the overall resources and speed of your website. If your website goes viral and you receive a huge traffic spike, due to resources being shared, your website may experience long load times, leading to downtime.

Another aspect of shared hosting is security. Because your website is on a server with many other websites, there is no way to ensure that all maintenance and security updates have been run across all websites. This opens a potential security threat to your website because you cannot manage other website’s security or content management systems.

Shared hosting does not allow server customization due to the effect it can have on other customers’ websites, thereby requiring you to use the default server settings configured by your hosting company.

What are the disadvantages of WordPress hosting?

WordPress hosting is restricted to only hosting websites built with the WordPress content management system, meaning that any other CMS can’t be hosted on WordPress hosting.

Due to server configuration, WordPress hosting generally restricts the overall amount of disk space that you can use. It can also restrict the number of websites that you host on your account. This can be a disadvantage if you have a website which is large in size.

Similar to shared hosting, WordPress hosting also restricts server customization, as the server is highly optimized to allow for the ultimate in loading speeds.

And finally, WordPress hosting typically costs more than shared hosting.

Which hosting type is the best for my website?

To answer this question let’s look at your needs and desires.

We recommend using shared hosting if:

You want to use a different CMS outside of WordPress. If you want to use Drupal, Magento, OpenCart, or any other CMS, shared hosting may be your best option. 

You have a modest or limited budget. Shared hosting is the least expensive, it can be a perfect hosting package if you are working on a restricted budget.

You want to start small and grow over time. Starting small with shared hosting can be a perfect way to begin, as most hosting companies will allow you to upgrade as your website grows.

We recommend using WordPress hosting if:

You are using WordPress as your CMS. Unfortunately, you cannot use other types of CMS with WordPress hosting.

You want to manage a medium-sized website or online store. WordPress hosting offers impressive speed and uptime for medium to larger-sized websites. This is perfect for e-commerce, business, intranet, and community websites. 

You want to manage your website content, but not your website’s server security. Providing auto-updates, free automatic backups, as well as increased server security, WordPress hosting allows you to focus on your content and not the technical server details.

Conclusion

Many website owners start off using shared hosting. This gives you the ability to get your website live and available for visitors to view. As the most affordable hosting in the market, shared hosting is usually the best option for small websites.

On the other hand, WordPress hosting has advantages. Whether you are a business owner trying to get started or you are an experienced website developer, WordPress hosting should definitely be given consideration when choosing web hosting. Its superfast speeds, as well as enhanced security features, allow WordPress hosting to stand above shared hosting in many areas.

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