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15 Business Problems That Can Be Solved By Moving to the Cloud

According to a recent Intel Security report, 93 percent of a sample of 1,400 IT security professionals claim that they use some type of (hybrid) Public / Private cloud service for their business operations. The cloud is rapidly becoming a popular resource for businesses from all backgrounds, and for good reason.

If your organization hasn’t yet tapped into the power of the cloud, here are some detailed benefits of (hybrid) cloud computing technology that are worth considering.

1. Importance of data and where it is stored (GDPR)

Your business should have a clear concept of the value (and sensitive nature) of the data that is critical for operations. The inherent need to undertake efforts to assess risks and costs involved with current data storage practices is real (GDPR). Especially in an international business organization, deciding where to house data is a complex question that is largely determined by how that data will be utilized.

Many CIOs prefer to keep their companies’ data relatively nearby, and some of them will only work with companies that house data domestically. That is often difficult for large companies with offices in multiple locations, so it’s important to look at what you’re using your data for to decide where it should (legally) be stored.

Businesses have access to more data than ever, but storing it can be tricky. While some businesses choose to only store their data on local servers, using a hybrid approach (using both bare metal servers as well as cloud services) can provide a more flexible option for storing data.

2. Hosting

When you’re not sure where to host data, a cloud platform is a great way to minimize uncertainty. A hybrid cloud portfolio can support locally hosted options in either the UK or elsewhere in the EU, and cost-effective cloud options will help mitigate the risks associated with long-term investments or expensive migrations.

Global adoption of cloud is likely to increase.  In particular, companies can expect the demand for cloud computing to continue to rise in a post-Brexit Europe.  In the UK, Brexit will likely give a push for more locally stored privacy data.

3. Security

Cloud technology has advanced greatly and now it is actually more secure and reliable than traditional on premise solutions.  In fact, 64 percent of enterprises report that the cloud is more secure than their previous legacy systems, and 90 percent of businesses in the USA are currently utilizing a (hybrid) cloud infrastructure.

Many business owners who are accustomed to using local servers hesitate to transition to the cloud for fear of security risks. They worry that having their information “out there” on the cloud will make it more susceptible to hackers.

As scary as these fears are, however, they are unlikely to happen. In fact, your data is just as secure in the cloud as it is in bare metal servers. Because cloud hosting has become so popular, it has quickly progressed to the advanced stages of security. In other words, because so many businesses are using cloud hosting in some form, it has been forced to maintain high levels of security to meet all the demand.

 4. Vulnerability to disasters

If you’re only storing your data on local servers, you may be more susceptible to having your data affected by a natural disaster. Certain precautions may help alleviate this risk — such as backing up data, for example — but utilizing the cloud can provide even greater protection.

While the cloud is not without its risks — after all, the cloud is essentially a few servers united together on a software level — it does create another layer of protection in the event of a disaster.

Leaseweb provides access to our partners industry leading solutions, companies that specialize in these areas, so for backup solutions on Dedicated servers, VPS, Apache CloudStack we have partnered together with Acronis & to offer backup solutions for VMware & Private Cloud offerings, Leaseweb have partnered together with Veeam.

 5. Benefit for disaster recovery

Hosting systems and storing documents on the cloud provides a smart safeguard in case of an emergency. Man-made and natural disasters can damage equipment, shut off power and incapacitate critical IT functions. Supporting disaster recovery efforts is one of the important advantages of cloud computing for companies.

These improvements in security can also come with an attractive reduction in cost.

 6. Increased long-term costs

Not moving to the cloud could cost your company money in the long run. While you do need to pay for equipment with the cloud, costs are often more flexible because you can pay as you go depending on how much storage space you need, ‘On Demand’. Using this hybrid approach of combining cloud services and local dedicated servers, you can ensure you’re not paying for more storage than you need.

7. Boosts cost efficiency

Cloud computing reduces or eliminates the need for businesses to purchase equipment and build out and operate data centers. This presents a significant savings on hardware, facilities, utilities and other expenses required from traditional computing. Also, reducing the need for on-site servers, software and staff can trim the IT budget further.

8. Provides flexible pay options

Most cloud computing programs and applications, ranging from ERP and CRM to creativity and productivity suites use a subscription-based model. This allows businesses to scale up or down according to their needs and budget. It also eliminates the need for major upfront capital expenditures (OPEX vs CAPEX).

9. Architecture

For businesses wanting to take advantage of new services such as analytics, AI, and the possibility for secure collaboration outside the business premises, an opportunity lies in adopting a cloud architecture.  To CIOs, moving to the cloud is a chance to overcome previous internal limitations and improve their value proposition.

Because so much about Brexit remains up in the air, businesses will need to be prepared to adapt rapidly to whatever policies and regulations result from the move. Instead of undertaking a costly move to a more advantageous location, cloud adoption can provide the ideal solution to data storage and accessibility issues and is one of the most effective ways for IT leaders to prepare their companies.

10. Lack of flexibility

Businesses have historically been tethered to wherever their equipment is located, because that’s where they need to access all their information. This becomes a problem, though, when employees need to work outside the office because it may limit or eliminate their ability to work from home, meet with clients out in the field, or network away from their workspace.

With the cloud, however, users can bring their data with them wherever they go. The cloud not only makes businesses more flexible, but it allows them to use their personal devices to access this information if need be.

11. Promotes collaboration

It’s hard to collaborate when your partners are all over the map. If your employees are outside the office or your clients are not physically accessible, it can be difficult to work on the same task when everyone is limited to their own local workspace.

With the cloud, however, your business can use file-sharing applications to collaborate effectively, even if everyone is geographically separated. Clients, vendors, and employees can all work together in real time, making enhanced communication one of the best ways to combat the risks of not moving to the cloud.

 12. Increases mobility

One of the advantages of cloud computing for businesses is how easily team members can work from anywhere. This is particularly valuable in an era when employees desire flexibility in their schedules and work environment. Businesses that operate on the cloud can provide staff with options to work on the go or at home, from their desktops, laptops, smart phones and tablets.

 13. Reduced agility

The ability to scale up or down can be critical for a business to stay agile and competitive. While local servers may fit your needs now, what if you need to scale up as demand increases? By adding cloud services, you can add storage as you need it and pay as you go. This type of hybrid approach can adapt to your business’s needs quickly, making it easier to meet demand as your company grows.

14. Frequent disturbances

Disasters aren’t the only things putting your data at risk. Power outages, hardware problems, or general network issues can prevent you from getting your work done. Even disruptions like installing an update can cause downtime, which costs your business money. While these issues can affect the cloud as well as bare metal servers, a hybrid approach can help minimize these risks by backing up your data in multiple locations.

15. Limited technical support

Outside the cloud, your organization is limited to whoever is working inside your office. In the case of an emergency, you either have to hope your local professionals can get the job done or hire a third-party company to help, which could be costly.

This risk is reduced in the cloud because you’ll have the built-in support of experienced professionals, and you won’t have to rely on anyone with minimal experience.

Moving to the cloud may seem complicated at first, but the transition can help mitigate a series of long-term problems. The use of public and hybrid cloud services is becoming the new norm. In fact, the cloud services industry is expected to become a $411 billion industry by 2020 — up from $260 billion in 2017 — according to research from Gartner. By joining the crowd, your business can avoid some of its most pressing technological problems.

Mail Server 101: POP3 vs. IMAP

When it comes to technology, there are many things that many of us never stop to think about. Like how a microwave heats food so quickly. How in the world a Keurig works. Or the process by which email ends up on your phone, computer, or tablet each morning. Luckily, this post is here to dispel some of the mystery behind at least the last of these technological enigmas.

Email gets transmitted amongst and between servers and ends up in your inbox through one of two processes: POP3(Post Office Protocol version 3) or IMAP (Internet Messaging Access Protocol). While you may have seen either of these two terms before when setting up mail on a a new device, we’ll break down for you exactly what is happening with these two distinct actions.

POP3
POP3, which was the first of the two, downloads information from the server onto your personal computer and subsequently deletes the data from the server. Though this process is great at conserving space on your server, it makes it pretty difficult to access your data across multiple devices.

IMAP
Inversely, while IMAP requires significantly more disk space on your machine than POP3, this process also provides increased flexibility when it comes to accessing your email across devices. IMAP leaves information on the server and synchronizes read and unread messages, folders, and spam across any device in which you’d access your email.

While IMAP has emerged as the leading method for mail delivery, both processes have their advantages and disadvantages. Read more about IMAP vs. POP3 in our Knowledge Base.

3 Ways to Prevent Email Abuse

Over 100 billion emails get sent per day. Everything from out-of-office alerts to billing summaries gets transferred across the web, from server to server. While we expect the things we send and deliver to remain secure, we know it isn’t always the case. There are various ways mail servers can be compromised, however, there are also a number of things that you can do, as a hosting provider, to prevent email abuse on your cPanel & WHM server. Here are a few of our easy-to-administer tips.

Require a Minimum Password Strength

We all know….well, we all should know the difference between a secure password and an insecure one:

Less secure: amy1234

More secure: ~4my0n3tw0thr334

With that in mind, ensuring your mail account holders are using secure passwords is one of the simplest ways to protect their information. While capitalization, symbol usage, and spelling all factor into password security, as a hosting provider, you can set a character minimum to ensure that all of your users have a base level of protection.

Learn more about Password Strength Configurations>>

Enable cPHulk

Familiar with the 2012 Marvel film The Avengers? In the final battle sequence, a seemingly unstoppable (keyword) alien army attempts to take down NYC — that is of course until the neurotically lovable Bruce Banner turns into his not-so-jolly green alter ego.

cPanel & WHM includes its own secret weapon that was developed to defend against the onslaught of brute force attacks. By enabling cPHulk, you can drastically prevent brute force attacks from affecting your users, your accounts, or your machine. Simply toggle the feature on from your Security Center and prevent malicious software from trying to muscle through your password security.

Find out the full power of cPHulk by reading our Documentation Site>>

Enable SMTP Restrictions

All online activity happens through a series of rules called protocols. For mail, SMTP, or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, is the method used to submit messages to mail servers for delivery to the recipient.

With SMTP Restrictions, a feature you can enable straight from WHM, you can prevent spammers from directly interacting with your remote mail servers or even working around your mail security settings.

Curious about SMTP Restrictions? Find out more here in our Documentation>>
There are, of course, many more ways you can up the security on your mail server and protect your customers. If you found this article helpful, be sure to share it with others. If you have a few tips for mail security worth mentioning, let us know by leaving a comment below.

Managing Multiple Domains from a Single Hosting Account

cPanel has made it easier to manage your domains in a single place. In this post, we will go over how to add another domain to your existing cPanel account. This tutorial will require that you have a hosting account and have access to cPanel to add the domain.

Are you unfamiliar with what DNS is or what the different DNS records mean? Please review cPanel’s DNS FAQ article for more information!

In this walkthrough, cpanel.rocks is our primary domain, and cpdocs.com is our addon domain. We will also need the nameservers from the web host, and the IP address that the addon domain will point to. The IP address is found in cPanel by clicking the Server Information tool under General Information and then viewing the Shared IP address value.

Let’s recap with some example information for the necessary DNS information:

  • cpanel.rocks— The account’s main domain. This domain was set up for you by your hosting provider. In other words, we already control this domain.
  • cpdocs.com — The domain we are going to add to our account.
  • ns1.cpanel.rocks — The server’s primary nameserver.
  • ns2.cpanel.rocks — The server’s secondary nameserver.
  • 209.59.172.159 — The IP address our addon domain will use.

What is an addon domain?

The cPanel “Addon Domains” feature allows you manage multiple domains from a single hosting account. Unlike with Parked domains, Addon domains are expected to be completely different websites all hosted inside the same cPanel account. You can also create additional sub-accounts (for example, email addresses) for your addon domains.

Why addon domains?

You can use them to save money. With addon domains, you don’t have to purchase an additional hosting account for each domain you operate. You can simply create addon domains and split your existing account’s resources.

Addon domains. How do they work?

Like subdomains, addon domains are stored in a subdirectory in your home directory. Essentially, online visitors to your addon domain are routed to this directory. As shown below, you may specify the name and precise location of this directory when creating the addon domain. Most commonly, the document root for any addon domain will be in /home/$user/$addon-domain/. In our example, the addon domain’s public_html subdirectory will be /home/$user/cpdocs.com/.

What do I need to do before creating the addon domain?

While not required, it’s a good idea to update the DNS of your domain to resolve to the server where it is hosted. We recommend contacting your web host for the proper nameservers and IP address for your server. Then, take this information to your domain’s registrar (or your hosting provider if they are the domain registrar) and update the domain’s DNS settings. If you’re not sure who your domain’s registrar is, you can always search for your domain on WHO.is. This action will perform a lookup and display which company was responsible for registering your domain. If your domain is not registered, this would be the perfect opportunity to purchase the domain from your preferred registrar.

How do I add the addon domain to cPanel?

To add an addon domain, we can use cPanel’s Addon Domains feature, in the Domains section of the cPanel interface.

  1. Enter the domain name in the New Domain Name field. In this case, we will enter cpdocs.com.
  2. Ensure the FTP username is appropriate in the next field. In this scenario, we will leave it as its default value, cpdocs.
  3. Make sure that the document root is in the appropriate place. In this example, we will use the default value, /home/$user/cpdocs.com/.
  4. Enter and confirm the password you want to use with this domain in the appropriate fields. Note- There is a checkbox to create an FTP account when adding your addon domain. Unless you specifically need an FTP account for the addon domain (i.e., allowing limited access to a developer or similar) we do not recommend creating this FTP account.
  5. Click the Add button.

If you see an error in this interface, that means that your hosting provider has not enabled this feature for your account, or there may be another problem. Please contact your hosting provider to fix the error before continuing.

Verifying our DNS settings

When adding an addon domain, cPanel will automatically create a DNS zone file for the domain. From the Zone Editor interface, we can see that the A record for ‘cpdocs.com’ is set to 209.59.172.159, the cPanel account IP address. If you do not see those options, your account may not have the correct feature permissions. The next step is to talk to your hosting provider to have the Advanced DNS Editor feature added. Once these are enabled, you will be able to see all of the DNS records assigned to your domain.

If you need to assign a different A record to your domain, you may use the “Edit an A record” function in cPanel’s Zone Editor.

Please make sure when editing the A record for your addon domain, there is a period at the end of the domain name. If this period is missing, the DNS record will be incorrect, as it will not be considered a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN). Now that the DNS record has been added, the domain will begin a period of propagation. DNS records can sometimes take up 24 hours to fully propagate so a bit of patience will be required.  Once the propagation period has passed, your domain will be publicly accessible!

Our Top 5 Tips to Reduce Spam or Junk Email in Your Inbox

While it’s not possible to completely eliminate spam messages, these 5 tips will reduce the number of junk emails in your inbox.

1) Use a spam filter.
It sounds obvious, but it is surprising how many people do not use spam filters to protect their inbox from spam and phishing emails.

2) Keep your email address private.
Don’t publish your email address anywhere on the web. If your email address is posted on a public guestbook, blog, or forum your inbox could very soon be cluttered with junk email. Automated bots crawl the web collecting these addresses 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

3) Create a spare email address.
Treat your spare email address as your public one. Use it online in forums, chat rooms, and when subscribing to mailing lists and promotions. Remember your spare email address is a temporary one. Don’t be afraid to change it often.

4) Handle with care.
You should never respond to any email address that you believe to be spam. This just tells the spammers that their email addresses are reaching your inbox! You should also consider turning read receipts off. These are often used to determine whether the emails are reaching a live inbox. Finally, never use the unsubscribe link unless you actually remember signing up to receive mail from the sender originally. Again, this is just another way for spammers to determine which emails are reaching an actual person.

5) Use disposable mail.
If you are forced to enter an email address somewhere on the web where the authenticity of the website is questionable, use a temporary email address! A service like 10minutemail.com will give you access to a working email address so that you do not have to risk using your personal address on a website you do not trust. Once you have finished, simply exit the website and you can leave knowing you will never receive any unwanted mail as a result of it.

The fight against spam has been ongoing since the first recorded incident in 1978 which affected 393 individuals. More than 30 years later, spam is reaches billions of internet users worldwide. It may not be possible to completely eliminate spam, but we can all do our bit to reduce the impact it has on our inbox.

Just be vigilant online and treat your email address like your house number and zip code; you wouldn’t post that everywhere would you?

Why You Need a Spam Blocker Like Akismet

Spam is the bane of every website. Spam comments that show up with generic praises for the quality of your posts along with questionable backlinks can slow your site down and interfere with legitimate comments from real readers. A number of WordPress plugins are made to handle spam comments, but the Akismet plugin tops the list. It is one of only two plugins built into your self-hosted WordPress installation, and it’s designed with one goal in mind: to stop spam from clogging up the comment function on your WordPress site.

Why You Need a Spam Blocker Like Akismet

Spam takes many forms, but all kinds of spam share a few common features. Spam is the nickname for Unsolicited Commercial Email, which is sent in vast amounts from questionable sites looking for backlinks, trying to get search engine recognition or “phishing” for users’ personal information.

Spam emails show up in the comments section of many WordPress sites, especially new ones. These emails often have a message proclaiming how interesting the site is, with no actual reference to the content. Typically, they’re promoting some type of product or service, and they usually include a link to another site. Left untended, spam can accumulate at the rate of hundreds per day. This can slow your site’s performance and even raise red flags with hosts and search engines. And the attention spent identifying and deleting these comments takes valuable time away from other tasks.

Spam-blocking plugins identify these kinds of email comments and filter them out, leaving only legitimate comments for site runners to moderate. Not all websites need spam blockers, though. Some sites opt to eliminate comments entirely with plugins, like the free “Disable Comments” plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory. If comments are disabled, spam comments won’t appear; but enabling comments allows website owners to engage with visitors, build a community and promote brands, so responding to legitimate comments can be a valuable tool. Akismet WordPress plugin filters comment automatically, leaving (in most cases) only real comments from site visitors in your site’s comment section. Winning the war against spam is made possible when using a plugin like Akkismet.

Akismet Blocks Spam Automatically

Akismet was developed by Automattic, the development team behind WordPress itself. That explains the “A” in its name. It appears by default in the Plugins list of every new WordPress installation, but it requires a few additional steps for activation. Akismet operates from algorithms that define spam emails based on identified spam from multiple sites. This algorithm can “learn” new spam addresses as it operates so that it can filter with more accuracy. Once identified, these spam comments are diverted to a spam file where they can be deleted. Only legitimate comments should make it past the filter for moderation and responses. If you are trying to reduce spam or junk email on your site, downloading Akismet is an easy way to do it.

Once Akismet is activated, it runs in the background, blocking spam as it appears, but users can set specific parameters in the filter, such as keywords, links or addresses, too. Because Akismet is algorithm based, it can make mistakes. Some real comments can be blocked, and in some cases, a few spam emails can make it through. It’s wise to periodically check the spam file to see if a non-spam comment was missed. Likewise, users can manually mark comments as spam, and Akismet then adds that information to its algorithm for future filtering.

Setting up Akismet

Installing WordPress plugins is fairly easy. Although Akismet appears by default in your Plugin list, it requires an API key for activation. This can take a few extra steps on external sites. To get started, select “Activate.” The Akismet configuration screen appears, along with a prompt to enter your Akismet API key.

To get the API key, you’ll be taken to the Akismet website. Click on the button for “Get a WordPress key.” This opens a screen with Akismet plans and pricing. Akismet’s pro plan for a single business website costs around $5 per month, and an enterprise plan for unlimited websites is available for $50 per month. But if you’re activating Akismet on a single personal site, Akismet invites you to name your price – which could be free. Select the plan you want and click “Sign Up.”

Somewhat confusingly, this step takes you to additional signup with WordPress.com, the hosted version of WordPress that’s home to many smaller sites and blogs. You don’t need to create a site with WordPress.com, though. You simply need to create a WordPress.com account in order to get access to the Akismet API key.

After creating a new WordPress.com account, you’ll return to Akismet to finish signing up. Once you’ve selected your plan and payment option, you’ll be prompted to get the Akismet key. Your key is stored in your Akismet account and can be recovered at any time. Copy the Akismet key and return to your WordPress site’s plugin list. Paste the API key into the Akismet configuration screen and Akismet is immediately activated.

Spam Detection with Akismet

Along with blocking spam comments, Akismet tracks statistics on your WordPress dashboard. These stats can show how many spam comments were caught by Akismet and how many are held in the spam folder. Akismet stats can also be displayed to site visitors on pages and posts with the Akismet widget, which can be placed in any widget area allowed by your site’s theme.

Managing Akismet on Your Site

Akismet spam protection also integrates with some of the best WordPress plugins as well. It’s regularly updated by the Automattic team, so it’s important to install updates as they appear. As a site grows, users can switch Akismet plans at any time to get the features they need. Akismet can be deactivated if it’s no longer needed and reactivated at a later time. Akismet spam protection is an effective tool, but it may not be the only comment management plugin your site needs as it evolves. Other plugins can be installed alongside Akismet to perform different tasks related to moderating and managing comments.

On popular websites, the rate of spam can be as high as 85 percent, and smaller sites can see hundreds to thousands of spam comments every day. Accumulated spam can compromise both your WordPress site’s functioning and its authority, but Akismet’s constantly evolving algorithms can block most spam automatically, so you can connect with your site’s legitimate visitors.