Protocol

In information technology, a protocol (from the Greek protocollon, which was a leaf of paper glued to a manuscript volume, describing its contents) is the special set of rules that end points in a telecommunication connection use when they communicate. Protocols exist at several levels in a telecommunication connection. For example, there are protocols for the data interchange at the hardware device level and protocols for data interchange at the application program level. In the standard model known as Open Systems Interconnection (OSI), there are one or more protocols at

each layer in the telecommunication exchange that both ends of the exchange must recognize and observe. Protocols are often described in an industry or international standard.

On the Internet, there are the TCP/IP protocols, consisting of:
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which uses a set of rules to exchange messages with other Internet points at the information packet level
Internet Protocol (IP), which uses a set of rules to send and receive messages at the Internet address level
Additional protocols that include the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and File Transfer Protocol (FTP), each with defined sets of rules to use with corresponding programs elsewhere on the Internet

There are many other Internet protocols, such as the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

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SECURE FTP (SFTP, SSH, FTP over SSL)

There are many ways to send files over the internet. You can just ftp a file, email a file, upload a file, or even share via a vpn. This easy task of sending a file gets difficult when the information in the file needs to be secured. I have seen / used many solutions to make a secure file transfer. Some use custom code (http and .net) others just use https and an upload feature, some add the use of file encryption (PGP or similar). I have never found the best mix because it always depends on requirements or needs. I have however found what works well with Windows / IIS.

There are 3 or 4 ftp servers I would recommend using with IIS that allow for secure ftp. I won’t go into the benifits of each type of secure ftp (FTP over ssl, ssh, or sftp). I will mention some of the products I have evaulated and used in my past projects:

Globalscape Secure ftp server (http://www.cuteftp.com/gsftps/) – This was the first secure ftp server I have ever installed an used. I found it very easy to configure and integrate into an environment. I was very successful using the Active Directory user model as well. I think this may be the only product that can integrate with AD (don’t quote me) The price for globalscape is also reasonable – $490 is not that much to pay for a reliable and supported server software. I have used this product since the early days and found that version 2.0 was a bit buggy on 2003 (when Server 2003 came out) However the Globalscape team updated the software and corrected the issues very quickly. The newer version have been able to handle 1000’s of transactions for me in the past, with great reliability. The secure part of the server worked well with almost any client, Filezilla (more on Filezilla to come) and also other vendors ftp clients.

Glub Tech – Secure FTP (http://www.glub.com/products/secureftp/) – This is the only product I have not used in a production environment. The install is fairly painless, but I found the configuration and use a bit cumber sum. I also liked the price (25) but was not sure on the licensing if that was for the client or the server. I only list this one because it is found on most searches.

Ipswitch – WS FTP server – (http://www.ipswitch.com/products/ws_ftp-server/index.asp?t=features) Ipswitch also makes a fine product. The cost $395 is very reasonable. I found it was very easy to install but hard to navigate through the options. I also have used this in a production environment for a few years and found the reliability very good. The secure section of this product did not work well with other client than the IPswitch client. I never got over the fact that it did not play well with other clients.

Filezilla server (http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/) – I did not discover this product until I had been using globalscape for about a year and a half. When I fisrt stumbled upon it after using the Filezilla ftp client with the globalscape server. I did not know what to make of beta ftp servers running in a production environment. Since that time I have deployed this server in about 3- 5 environments with great success. It is a fantastic FTP server as well as a Secure ftp server. It allows you to use all the mentioned protocols above. If you are in need of sending secure files I would recommend trying this out. You cannot beat the cost (FREE).
I hope this information helps out the next Admin that is in need of some secure file transfers.

It is worth mentioning some other products available. They may not be the same as Secure ftp but they do allow for secure communication.

OPEN SSH on windows – (http://sshwindows.sourceforge.net/ ) this is a little gem if you are willing to work through a tough install and configuration. Once you have this running you can use Filezilla (client) and connect to a windows machine via SSH and use it like an ftp server.

SSL Explorer – (http://www.sshtools.com/showSslExplorer.do) – this is more of a vpn solution, but it works very well. It creates a SSL based vpn and you can transfer files via that. They offer a free solution for non commercial use.

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What are the advantages of broadband VPN?

There are several advantages associated with broadband VPN. These include:

* Bonding DSL - one of the main advantages of using a broadband VPN through Managed Communications is the ability to bond ADSL at multiple office locations to deliver a point to point connection. This broadband VPN solution offers resilience as well as increased broadband capacity for downloading at both sites.
* Reduced cost of internet breakout - another advantage of a broadband VPN is that it cuts the cost of internet breakout. Typically, a point to point leased line requires at least one additional internet connection. If the network contains many sites, internet breakout can become very expensive. If traffic is back hauled over leased lines to save costs on internet access, you need to route that traffic through the point to point link. This reduces the available bandwidth for other applications. With a broadband VPN, you can manage internet breakout cost effectively on a site by site basis without reducing available bandwidth for applications.
* Get an excellent service level agreement (SLA) - with an ADSL VPN from Managed Communications, you get a private network and negate the need for leased line internet breakout. But importantly you also get a 99.9% SLA so you can be totally confident about the level you will receive.
* Get expert advice and keep track of the latest technological breakthroughs - our engineers are experts in Cisco VPN, Checkpoint VPN and Netscreen VPN hardware. And with their years of knowledge and experience in the field, you know that you will be getting the best possible outcome for your business. Nobody knows more about VPN networks than Managed Communications.

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How to start your own Web Hosting Company?

web hosting business is at the heart of all e-commerce and online business website opportunities, as every website online needs a web server space with reliable connectivity 24/7 to function properly. Not only does web hosting provide the tools and resources needed to build online businesses in nearly any industry, it also provides business opportunities in and of itself so its very important to choice the right web hosting provider offering reliable and stable service for your website. By utilizing reseller hosting plans you can start a web hosting business from scratch with minimal effort and investment, and absolutely no expertise or experience. While not all hosting resellers will be successful, I wish to share few tips as below you may be able to build a web hosting business from scratch, which is cost effective and offer high performance to your site with good google ranking.

Selecting a Reseller Hosting Plan

Your reseller hosting plan will be the service that gives you access to wholesale web server resources such and space and bandwidth, which can be split up into plans and allocated amongst your customers as per your needs. Thus, it is important to consider the features and attributes of each plan carefully before purchasing one, That the reason I guess Cpanel Linux Web hosting. As a general rule of thumb, the more comprehensive the hosting plan, the cheaper the server resources will be overall. Just as in any other industry, if you purchase server resources in bulk you receive the greatest discounts and will be able to earn the highest profit margins from your clients. It is also imperative to choose a hosting provider that is known for being reliable, as their reliability will reflect on the reputation of your own hosting business.

Designing Effective Hosting Plans and Building a Professional User-Friendly website:

Fortunately, during the process of selecting a good reseller hosting plan you’ll get a good idea of what hosting clients are looking for when they shop for a web hosting service. Put yourself in the shoes of your clients and begin creating hosting plans that could realistically compete with other web hosts. One of the best ways to do this is to distinguish your plans from other hosts’ by offering additional web-based services, and sizing your plans differently than other hosts. For example, if you are a web developer, programmer, or Internet marketer, you can bundle your site creation and promotion services with your hosting plans to solicit more clients. You can also use the robust site builder tools provided within your reseller hosting account to create professional web hosting websites that advertise your services.

Branding and Advertising Your Web Hosting Services

Reseller hosting plans also allow you to customize the control panel of your customers’ hosting accounts with the logo of your business. This will help you effectively establish your company’s brand and portray professionalism to your clients by distinguishing yourself from the competition. Reseller hosting plans also include free advertising credits for search engines and social networking sites such as Yahoo, Google, Bing, digg,twitter and Facebook. You can utilize these advertising credits to immediately begin promoting your hosting services to targeted audiences via pay per click advertising, which appears on the sides and above search engine results when related keywords are searched for.

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Why Cloud Computing is emerging as future of Web Hosting?

The most important and crucial need of Web Hosting business is uptime of site.And now that Cloud Hosting has become the latest market boom, its surely going to get much of Web Hosting market shared under its name.

The reason Why I feel so is :

Firstly the architecture of cloud computing is broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).cloud web hosting provider offering 100% uptime guarantee cloud hosting service.

Second is Cost, The major advantages of cloud computing over regular web hosting services are, it increases redundancy and improves its loading speed and uptime thus giving elasticity for user. A user can now decide on how much or as little of a service as they want at any given time and pay only for the resources used.

But still the point of worry about cloud hosting security of data. And what if the DNS servers are hacked. This can get the whole network in problem.


But still its a plus for higher end co-operate websites that can spend high price for private cloud Hosting.


Different types Cloud Hosting available in Market are :

Public Cloud or shared Cloud Server:


Public Cloud Servers which has A multi-tenant environment that is designed for workloads that require rapid provisioning, in short they are shared economy cloud servers



Second is : Private Cloud or dedicated Cloud Server:

Private Cloud servers which offers An environment dedicated to a single customer that leverages virtualization tools to deliver a secure computing platform.

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Looking for and buying a reliable web hosting solution is an important and crucial decision. Whether you are doing online business, providing important information or sharing views online on a common interest, you need a reliable web hosting service that will allow online visitors to browse through your site effortlessly. It is only powerful web hosting that allows your website to be downloaded, browsed and updated in minimal time. Your website should be online maximum amount of time as every visitor on the website counts, and if you miss even a single visitor due to website being down, you may loose a crucial business opportunity.

Trying to identify a web host can be a very daunting task especially when there are so many available nowadays and all of them promise one thing or another. Hence, it is crucial that before you jump in, you do your own homework or research for selecting the most appropriate web hosting company for your website.

With the changing trend of technology, web hosts are also changing. Most of them provide various services in addition to their basic ones. Say if you are running an e-commerce website, then of course you need high end security and a medium through which you can manage your web content efficiently. There are many tools that facilitate this, however if your web hosting service is not reliable then you can miss out on serious revenues and prospective clients.

Once you have determined and identified what web hosting services you require for your online business, it is then time to enlist certain web hosting features and options you must consider. You can find below some of the most important aspects of web hosting:

Disk space and bandwidth

You should know how much space your website would need and approximate data it will generate. When we talk about disk space, well, it’s actually the amount of storage assigned to you by the web hosting provider. The bandwidth is the amount of traffic that is allowed to access and leave your website. In case your website has a lot of graphics then you would require higher storage area and greater bandwidth.

Programming tools and the OS

You need to be sure that your website is uploaded through secure servers using the latest Operating System. Most web hosts run on a UNIX based operating system, usually Linux or BSD. For the running of various web applications you would require ASP, .NET, MS SQL, SBS and for these you need a Window based host.

Pricing Aspect

You need to compare pricing before you finalize a web hosting service. Some may provide you better services but at low pricing. It’s not always true that the best hosting services are always the most expensive. Do your research and then finalize.

Support, Security, Guaranteed uptime and Backups

Security and backups are two very important aspects that you need to consider. You should always choose a web hosting service with reliable telephone support. Some also offer 24/7 support through local or toll-free numbers. In case you are running an ecommerce website then security is one aspect that you just cannot discard. Your web hosting service provider should be such that they can monitor things round the clock and ensure no unwanted intruder can hack your site. After all it’s your website and it is really worth looking into this aspect of web hosting.

Location of Web Hosting provider:

As we know most part of Web hosting business is shared by US based Hosting Companies. US Web Hosting provider lead higher and have more hosting customers than any other country share in hosting industry.The other factor that makes the US market as leaders in hosting indurtry is this companies are quit old in this market , plus you have benefits of low costing Web hosting service, due to availibility of low cost bandwidth in US.Yου mау therefore wonder whу уου ѕhουld take up anything οthеr thаn thеѕе bіg names thаt аrе internationally known. Whеn уοu operate a business іn thе UK уοu mау wonder іf thеrе аrе benefits tο bе achieved frοm using a local UK Web Hosting company.

The most important point to have Web hosting with UK web Hosting provider, if you are targeting UK market is, this will improve ping time refers tο thе distance between thе client аnԁ thеіr server, The less the hops to reach your site, the faster it load. The faster it will load the more improved will be its SEO. This will improve your google ranking as well in your local Market Keyword search. So if you are targeting US Market in that case go for US Web Hosting provider.

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Monitoring site traffic for fraud prevention

Most website owners spend a little time looking at their “web logs”, the list of page hits to their site.  A free tool included with most websites is AWStats which allows you to determine how many hits per day you are getting, most popular post, hits by country, even the most frequent visitor (usually the website owner).    Often you will see signs of suspicious activity: lots of hits to undefined URLs,  unusual volume from a particular country.   You can easily postulate that if your site is going to be hacked you will be forewarned by reading the logs. 

One new company that is leveraging that concept is Silver Tail Systems.  Their sophisticated solution is meant for banks, stock trading sites and similar high value transaction sites.  I am adding them to my list of cool companies to watch for 2011 (to be posted soon).  

Web attacks take various forms. In 2002 I had a conversation with a large data provider who had opened up their proprietary database to subscribers for only $250/month.  It did not take long for someone to use a stolen credit card to get access and run scripts against the database to suck down as much as they could.  When IT-Harvest first launched our security vendor data base we allowed anyone to run simple searches on it.  That first day a vendor in Canada (you know who you are) ran a script against it to suck down the whole database.

Another time tested attack is web scraping: a technique that riled the airlines who did not like their prices posted on comparison sites.  And phishers sped a lot of time hitting a site in preparation for mimicking it so they can lure people into giving up their identities.  Once an attacker has user access they can engage in sophisticated pump and dump schemes where they liquidate the user's holding and invest in some penny stock they have already taken a position in. The attacker sells their own stock when it pops up in reaction to the unusual buy activity. The account holder is left holding worthless stock after it drops back down again.

The most critical step transaction sites can take is to ensure they do not contain vulnerabilities that expose them to hacks.   Brian Krebs lambastes the site administrators for .gov sites that are particularly lax in this manner.     Although deploying web application firewalls from Imperva or AppSec Inc. is the best way to defend against these attacks, more sophisticated attacks may take advantage of yet undiscovered vulnerabilities or use the very structure of the site to engage in fraudulent practices, often as authenticated users. 

That is where Silver Tail Systems comes in.  They monitor all traffic to the main site and third party sites and look for indications of malfeasance. Alerts are generated when the normal business logic is subverted and allows the site owner to investigate and correct controls.  This is much better than waiting for the call from an irate customer who finds his funds have vaporized!

You can hear more on my thoughts on web attacks and fraud as well as hear directly from Silver Tail Systems in a webinar this Thursday, the 27th of January at 1-2 PM Eastern (GMT -5).  Registration is now open.

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Monitoring site traffic for fraud prevention

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