New M3AAWG Hosting Service Providers Best Practices Backed by i2C Aim to Reduce End-User Threats - Seite 2

Christian Dawson, i2C chairman and co-founder, said, "As a group constructed of the organizations that build the Internet infrastructure, including the Web hosting services, we have the honor and responsibility to work together to make the Internet a safer place. We are thrilled to collaborate with M³AAWG on this important best practices initiative and focus on implementation within this community."

Hosting Practices to Improve Business and Protect End-Users

The new best practices address both preventing abuse and what to do when a rogue customer is identified on the network. For example, because Web hosting services often suffer from the negligent actions of their customers, the document recommends instituting effective vetting processes to verify the legitimacy of new clients before allowing them on the network. It also advises that the company's Terms and Conditions should require customers to keep current on all software updates, as older versions can be susceptible to malware attacks.

Among other recommended best practices, hosting companies should consider hardware-based intrusion detection systems (IDS) that help prepare for and deal with an attack, use software-based security scans and firewalls, and implement internal network telemetry reporting. Feedback loops from network operators providing the hosting company with reports on abusive email sent from their servers can also help identify potential problems. When a problem is found, the best practices outline processes for remediating a compromise, including when to suspend service or terminate a customer.

The M³AAWG Hosting Special Interest Group was formed last year to develop these best practices, as explained in the video How the M3AAWG Hosting SIG Can Help You; Fighting Spam, Phishing, Malware and Emerging Threats. The SIG is continuing in its efforts to promote industry collaboration and develop the necessary processes to identify illegitimate hosting customers and respond to emerging issues.

Adkins said, "We are partnering with i2C on these best practices because they are aggressively working to address emerging anti-abuse issues in the cloud service provider area and to help these services improve their business model by reducing risk from abusive customers. Their support for this document reflects the hosting industry's commitment to safe practices and to their role as reliable partners in the Internet ecosystem."