Identifying Data Privacy and Server Performance Vulnerabilities in Shared Hosting Environments

Identifying Data Privacy and Server Performance Vulnerabilities in Shared Hosting Environments

Photo of author
Written By Eric Sandler

In today’s interconnected digital world, shared hosting environments present unique challenges for data privacy and server performance. This article explores the vulnerabilities inherent in shared hosting, examining the main cybercrime vectors, the potential for cascading security breaches, and the far-reaching consequences of these vulnerabilities.

From phishing attacks to reverse IP lookups, we’ll investigate the tactics cybercriminals employ and the domino effect that can occur when one website on a shared server is compromised.

Additionally, we’ll discuss practical measures to enhance security and performance, helping website owners navigate the complex realm of shared hosting while safeguarding their digital assets.

Table of contents 

The main cybercrime vectors

 Phishing is still the main cybercrime vector, with more than 75% of targeted cyberattacks starting with an email in 2024. The latest trends include vishing and smishing, which are video and SMS phishing, respectively. Different channels are used to obtain personal data, and a shared environment is ripe for data breaches.  

17% of cyberattacks target web app vulnerabilities, and 98% of web apps are vulnerable to attacks that can point the user to a malicious site, get them to download malware, etc. 

Reverse IP lookup and the domino effect

 A hacker can use reverse IP lookup to find some of the websites on the shared server and potentially gain access to them. He can do the lookup through Dig on Linux, Google Dorking, or one of the many third-party websites available for this purpose. 

A cybercriminal can buy hosting from the provider with plausible personal details, then access the server and disrupt its services. They might use malicious data on their account to cause harm to other websites on the server. As numerous sites share a server, this type of hosting exacerbates the risk of data breaches.

Websites using shared hosting have the same IP, so they are all affected if an external DoS on the whole service occurs. What’s more, they are in the same directory, so if there is a server security breach, the attacker can find the sites easily. If one site is breached, the hacker gets access to other websites on the server. They can find an upload section in a shared website, upload a Perl Script or PHP Reverse Shell, and then enter the directory. If they access the website’s CMS, they can run WP Scan for WordPress sites, Joomla Scan, etc. 

In a recent survey, 26% of companies said they used machine learning and AI to forecast and handle data breaches. While AI tools can help, they’re only as good as the data they’re trained on

Consequences of vulnerabilities

Attackers will exploit vulnerabilities in website apps or server software that hasn’t been updated—flaws in web app coding account for 72% of vulnerabilities. 

Cross-site scripting or XSS happens when someone inserts malicious code into a website database. The code then executes on other websites on the shared server. 

If another site on the server spams customers or conducts illegal activities, the server’s IP will be marked as malicious and blacklisted. Firewalls will label your site as malicious and stop people from accessing it. Reputable sites tend to have firewalls, and their market size is rapidly growing. In the US, it is anticipated to grow by 19.70% a year between 2024 and 2032. 

Email providers will blacklist your IP, and all of your emails will go to your customers’ spam. Search engines will blacklist your site. 

Measures to enhance security and performance

  Always have strong, unique passwords and enable multifactor authentication, which just 29% of companies report having done in 2024. Regular software updates will prevent data privacy vulnerabilities. Regular backups are of paramount importance. In 2023, 35% of businesses that suffered data loss could not recover it. The main cause was the lack of backups, gaps between backup intervals, and malware-related corruption.  

To improve your website’s performance, use a content delivery network, fewer plugins, caching, and optimized image size. If downtime is becoming a problem, consider upgrading to VPS hosting. 

Recap 

  • Phishing, vishing, smishing are the main cybercrime vectors
  • Reverse IP lookup finds websites on a shared server  
  • If one site is breached, the hacker gets access to the others 
  • Another site on the server might spam or operate illegally
  • Firewalls blacklist the server’s IP
  • Access to your site is blocked  
  • Always have strong, unique passwords 
  • Enable multifactor authentication
  • Use a CDN, fewer plugins, website caching
Eric Sandler

Leave a Comment