The Secure Hosting Alliance (SHA) is an initiative that brings together hosting companies and industry experts to increase responsibility among hosting service providers. David Snead, Director of the Secure Hosting Alliance, spoke with Konrad Keck to explain how SHA operates and why it’s important.
What exactly is the Secure Hosting Alliance?
The Secure Hosting Alliance brings together hosting companies aiming to improve the level of responsibility within the industry by setting clear operational standards and addressing various abuses. This ensures hosting customers can rely on providers that maintain clean and secure infrastructure. David Snead explains the idea behind SHA simply:
“The Secure Hosting Alliance is a group of hosting companies and people who provide services for hosting. These people work together to make the hosting industry more responsible.”
How are the operational standards set within SHA?
The standards that hosting companies commit to are established by SHA members themselves during meetings and discussions. Initially, they focus on solving the most common issues, such as spam, malware, and other types of internet abuse. Companies participating in the initiative commit to promptly addressing reports of these abuses to minimize their negative impact on internet users. David Snead elaborates:
“Companies agreeing to these standards promise, for example, to respond to spam complaints within three days.”
What benefits do companies gain from SHA membership?
Companies that comply with established standards receive SHA certification, clearly signaling to customers that a hosting provider maintains high-quality and secure services. This certification distinguishes responsible companies from other providers and allows them to actively contribute to combating online issues. David Snead emphasizes that the SHA certification is not just a symbol of quality but also a concrete action towards a better internet:
“If the standard is that you must have a spam policy and respond quickly to complaints, hosting companies who agree to follow this rule will become certified members. They contribute by keeping the internet cleaner and safer.”
What is the primary goal of the Secure Hosting Alliance?
The primary goal of SHA is to help customers identify responsible hosting providers more easily. Thanks to SHA certification, customers can readily find companies that ensure high-quality services. David Snead provides a practical example:
“Imagine you’re a WordPress developer looking for hosting. If you search online, you’ll get hundreds of results. It’s impossible to know who’s reliable. But if you see the Secure Hosting Alliance certification, you know that company follows specific good practices. It also means your website is less likely to have problems, like being blocked due to spam.”
Who is David Snead, and what is his role in SHA?
David Snead serves as the director of the Secure Hosting Alliance, which is part of a larger organization, the Internet Infrastructure Coalition (I2 Coalition). He co-founded the I2 Coalition with Christian Dawson about 13 years ago. Snead explains how SHA differs from the I2 Coalition:
“Our goal with the Secure Hosting Alliance is to offer practical help to hosting providers. Unlike the I2 Coalition, which deals mostly with laws and policy, the Secure Hosting Alliance is focused entirely on helping hosting businesses directly.”
Through the Secure Hosting Alliance, hosting companies can continuously enhance their service quality while providing greater security for their customers online.
