Host 99 Blog

Dear Customer,

server18.h-99.net server accounts will be transfer to server25.h-99.net within the next couple of weeks. Due to strict security changes passed by the NVD (National Vulnerability Database) we are required to upgrade our hardware to be able to handle all security configurations and requirements for PCI compliance accounts currently being hosted on this particular server and non PCI compliant customers are effected as well. We do not expect long downtime as server25.h-99.net is already propagated into our networks and hosting central data centers nation wide.

Please prepare for some downtime as when the dedicated ip’s that are currently assigned will require a change and this could cause downtime until propagation has taken effect this includes emails, website traffic, cPanel and any other account related software attached to your account. Host 99 takes all security very seriously and when security changes are required we are to react as fast as possible to insure all customers that will be effected to be moved to the new and improved secured servers. All hardware including Ram, Hard Drives and Backup procedures will be effected and is the main reason we must move to a newer and improved server or servers. Host 99 has been developing these new servers for more then 4 years and in the year 2012 it is time to execute the migration to the new technology available for website hosting.

Please note no DNS name server changes are required by you for your domain. Only thing you are required to do is prepare for the downtime while we migrate accounts over to the new server. There will be no warning for each individual website as we cannot guarantee when your account will be moved on any particular date or time. Even though, the migration process is begin on or around 02/03/2012. If you experience loading performance issues, email performance issues or any website related issues the main reason is due to the migration of the new server mentioned above. There will be no changes how you are to log into cPanel or webmail the URL to gain access will remain the same such as http://www.yourdomain.com/cpanel and http://www.yourdomain.com/webmail.

 If you have any questions please submit a ticket to our Hosting Support technicians but please no phone calls during this process as it can take away from the migration process moves forward, we do not want to delay the process and finish the process as quickly as possible.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused to you or any of your customers during the migration process and we will move forward and restore all accounts as soon as possible.

 The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of requirements designed to ensure that ALL companies that process, store or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment.  Essentially any merchant that has a Merchant ID (MID).
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) was launched on September 7, 2006 to manage the ongoing evolution of the Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards with focus on improving payment account security throughout the transaction process.  The PCI DSS is administered and managed by the PCI SSC (www.pcisecuritystandards.org), an independent body that was created by the major payment card brands (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB.).
It is important to note, the payment brands and acquirers are responsible for enforcing compliance, not the PCI council.

A copy of the PCI DSS is available here.

Host 99 is proud to announce our partnership with Attracta SEO. With our partnership we are eligible to add Free SEO tools within our cPanel platform. In a  few days customers will now be able to use Attracta SEO tools right from their cPanel and not even leave the page and benefit from these SEO tools to boost their website.

The tools have the have the following options

• Get In Google
• SEO Tools
• Increase Website Traffic
• Google Sitemap
• Link Building
• Facebook Traffic
• SEO Tips

A few details about Attracta SEO options

1. They crawl your website finding all of its pages, including pages that can’t be found by search engines’ crawlers, to create an XML Sitemap and SEO dashboard report.
2. They submit your XML Sitemap directly to the XML interface of major search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, Bing and Ask— plus help you find and fix SEO errors.
3. The search engines use your XML Sitemap to drive more qualified traffic to your site by indexing more pages in search results with improved page ranking.

Each Attracta account includes an advanced online SEO dashboard that monitors and reports on your website’s indexed pages. It also reports broken links and error pages, plus helps find and fix common SEO problems.

Attracta’s services are a perfect solution for the enterprise. Whether you have hundreds of websites or one site with millions of pages you know the challenges in maintaining current sitemaps. This  technology was built from the ground up to meet the challenges of large sites.

With Host 99 all plans we offer including shared hosting will have access to all Attracta SEO tools.

You should worry about business fallout.

More than 340 million computer records containing sensitive personal information have been involved in security breaches in the U.S. since 2005.1 Now criminals are shifting sights to small merchants because many have lax security for cardholder data. More than 80% of attacks target small merchants. If you are at fault for a security breach, business fallout can be severe:

•Fines and penalties
•Termination of ability to accept payment cards
•Lost confidence, so customers go to other merchants
•Lost sales
•Cost of reissuing new payment cards
•Legal costs, settlements and judgments
•Fraud losses
•Higher subsequent costs of compliance
•Going out of business

What data thieves are after

The object of desire is cardholder data. By obtaining the Primary Account Number (PAN) and sensitive authentication data, a thief can impersonate the cardholder, use the card, and steal the cardholder’s identity.

Sensitive cardholder data can be stolen from many places:
•Compromised card reader
•Paper stored in a filing cabinet
•Data in a payment system database
•Hidden camera recording entry of authentication data
•Secret tap into your store’s wireless or wired network

Defining “sensitive cardholder data”

Everything at the end of a red arrow is sensitive cardholder data. Anything on the back side and CID must never be stored. Everything else you store must be for a good business reason, and that data must be protected. PCI DSS explains how.

Small merchants are prime targets for data thieves. It’s your job to protect cardholder data at the point-of-sale.

If cardholder data is stolen – and it’s your fault – you could incur fines, penalties, even termination of the right to accept payment cards!

Let Host 99 help you become PCI Compliant and stay secured from hackers. Contact Us for more details.

Protecting cardholder data is good for your business

PCI security prevents stolen customer data, and:

• Prevents lawsuits
• Can save you money
• Helps you to stay in business

You are responsible for preventing theft of cardholder data

Follow these steps:

• Don’t store ANY sensitive cardholder data!
• Secure card readers, point-of-sale, and payment systems
• Use basic security techniques

Learn how

Details are in the PCI DSS.
It’s a strong, systematic way to secure cardholder data.

Getting Started with PCI Data Security Standard Compliance

PCI Security Standards are technical and operational requirements set by the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) to protect cardholder data. The Council is responsible for managing the security standards, while compliance with the PCI Security Standards is enforced by the payment card brands. The standards apply to all organizations that store, process or transmit cardholder data – with guidance for software developers and manufacturers of applications and devices used in those transactions.

If you are a merchant that accepts payment cards, you are required to be compliant with the PCI Data Security Standard. You can find out your exact compliance requirements only from your payment brand or acquirer. However, before you take action, you may want to obtain background information and a general understanding of what you will need to do from the information and links here.

The PCI DSS follows common-sense steps that mirror security best practices. There are three steps for adhering to the PCI DSS – which is not a single event, but a continuous, ongoing process. First, Assess — identify cardholder data, take an inventory of your IT assets and business processes for payment card processing, and analyze them for vulnerabilities that could expose cardholder data. Second, Remediate — fix vulnerabilities and do not store cardholder data unless you need it. Third, Report — compile and submit required remediation validation records (if applicable), and submit compliance reports to the acquiring bank and card brands you do business with.

For more information, download our Getting Started Guide and/or our Quick Reference Guide.

To learn what your specific compliance requirements are, check with your card brand compliance program:
• American Express: www.americanexpress.com/datasecurity
• Discover Financial Services: http://www.discovernetwork.com/fraudsecurity/disc.html
• JCB International: http://www.jcb-global.com/english/pci/index.html
• MasterCard Worldwide: http://www.mastercard.com/sdp
• Visa Inc: http://www.visa.com/cisp
• Visa Europe: http://www.visaeurope.com/ais

On Jan. 1, 2011, the latest version of the PCI DSS 2.0 went into effect. The revisions, which modify the Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQs), call for discontinuance of the existing PCI DSS version and SAQ forms by Dec. 31, 2011.

The PCI DSS 2.0 is another opportunity for you to engage merchants in active PCI education, provide valuable security information that strengthens the relationship and increase compliance rates throughout the portfolio. Use this information and leverage your PCI compliance solutions provider to build a strong and consistent communication and compliance plan.

For the PCI DSS Requirements and Security Assessment Procedures, the following defines the table column headings:

PCI DSS Requirements – This column defines the Data Security Standard and lists requirements to achieve PCI DSS compliance; compliance will be validated against these requirements.

Testing Procedures – This column shows processes to be followed by the assessor to validate that PCI DSS requirements are “in place.”
In Place – This column must be used by the assessor to provide a brief description of
the controls which were validated as “in place” for each requirement, including
descriptions of controls found to be in place as a result of compensating controls, or as a
result of a requirement being “Not Applicable.”

Not in Place – This column must be used by the assessor to provide a brief description of controls that are not in place. Note that a noncompliant
report should not be submitted to a payment brand or acquirer unless specifically requested.For further instructions on noncompliant reports, please refer to the Attestations of Compliance, available on the PCI SSC website (www.pcisecuritystandards.org).

Target Date/Comments – For those controls “Not in Place” the assessor may include a target date that the merchant or service provider expects to have controls “In Place.” Any additional notes or comments may be included here as well.

Costs
Similar to other industries, a secure state could be more costly to some organizations than accepting and managing the risk of confidentiality breaches. however, many studies have shown that this cost is justifiable.

If you are looking for a PCI Compliance Scanning Vendor or Host contact us we  can assist you becoming PCI Compliant within 72 Hours guaranteed, we have partnering services for PCI Compliance starting at only $112.00 a year unlimited scans and support included provided by Security Metrics.

Google’s recent change to its search algorithm has dramatically shaken up the businesses of websites that moved up or down its search rankings. Sites whose rankings rose to the top found that their traffic and revenue soared — but the adjustment had an equally devastating effect on those that were dropped.

The Online Publishers Association, a group of content producers comprising many of the Internet’s largest properties (including CNN.com), estimates that the algorithm change shifted $1 billion in annual revenue.

512Email Print Some of the losers felt the hit immediately. Mahalo.com laid off 10% of its workforce last week thanks to what CEO Jason Calacanis called “a significant dip in our traffic and revenue.”

The stakes are high in the Google-placement game. The top spot on a search page typically attracts 20% to 30% of the page’s clicks, according to Adam Bunn, SEO director of Greenlight. After that comes an enormous tail-off: Positions 2 to 3 generate 5% to 10% of the clicks, and links below the fold receive less than 1% of users’ attention. Fall off to the second page and your search-engine-driven clicks will be negligible.

With control of two-thirds of the U.S. search market, Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) steers a tremendous amount of traffic to websites. Many of them rely exclusively on advertising dollars to make money.

That means that positioning in Google’s search results can be a life-or-death issue for a business.

Google’s change appears to have most harmed so-called “content farms” like Mahalo, which critics say amass content for the sole purpose of luring in search-engine traffic. Sites like Mahalo.com, Wisegeek.com, Ezinearticles.com and Yahoo’s (YHOO, Fortune 500) Associated Content were among the biggest losers in the algorithm tweak. Google-generated traffic to each dropped more than 75%, according to software firm Sistrix.

Interestingly, Demand Media (DMD) — one of the most oft-criticized content farms –appears to have gotten off relatively scot-free. Its most prominent site, eHow.com, even grew its traffic after the algorithm change, though some others like AnswerBag.com and Trails.com dropped off.

The biggest beneficiaries seem to be originators of what Google calls “high-quality” content, which the company defines as “information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on.” Traffic to sites that belong to the Online Publishers Association grew between 5% and 50% the day after Google’s tweak, according to Pam Horan, president of the OPA.

“This change was connected with who is driving the best experiences for the end user,” Horan said. “This is good for the consumer, good for the Internet, and good for publishers of higher-quality content.”

Impact on ‘mom and pop’ sites
Not everyone feels that Google got the change right.

Max Spankie, who operates customer review website My3cents.com, said his site lost a significant portion of its traffic and revenues overnight following Google’s algorithm change.

That came as quite a surprise to Spankie, since My3cents.com was recently recognized as the top consumer complaint site by the non-profit Consumer Federation of America. Unlike some of the sites that now top My3cents.com in Google’s rankings, all complaints on Spankie’s site are moderated. Hundreds of companies use the site to interact with customers.

“I thought they flipped the switch wrong,” Spankie said. “We work hard to be a quality site, and I definitely think the sites that are now winning in our niche aren’t about quality.”

Morris Rosenthal, a publisher of laptop repair how-to books and owner of the site FonerBooks.com, said that he too found Google’s new results curious.

For instance, a search for his book Laptop Repair Workbook now puts the book’s Amazon page as its first result (no problem there) — and a site that allows you to illegally download his book as its second result (big problem).

He also noticed that a search for “laptop inverter test” — a diagnostic test he wrote an instructional article on — now features two sites that link to his article ahead of his own site. His site used to be the top result.

Righting a wrong
For those who feel that Google made a mistake by lowering their sites in its rankings, the company says there’s an option: Webmasters can post in its discussion forum about the topic. Though no manual changes can be made, Google will often tweak its algorithm in response to legitimate challenges.

“Like many of the changes we make, we tested this update extensively and have found that the algorithm is extremely accurate at detecting site quality,” a Google spokesman said. “That said, search is a constant evolution and we will continue to listen to feedback from publishers and the community as we further refine our algorithms.”

Google said it is “very pleased” with the changes.

But that’s cold comfort to those who have seen their traffic and revenue tumble with little explanation why.

“It’s a system of guilty until proven innocent, and I’ve read about a lot of mom-n-pop sites reworking their sites and examining their souls, trying to figure out if they offended Google in some way,” said Rosenthal, who said traffic to his site tumbled 30%. “With Google it’s just, ‘Talk to the hand.’ They have no genuine two-way communication.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that the Online Publishers Association expected $1 billion in advertising revenue to shift to its members following Google’s algorithm change. The group says its actual estimate is that $1 billion will be redistributed across the online publishing industry.

Using Facebook to Promote Your Website
Facebook is one of the best Social Networking sites for website promotion. A lot of website promotion can come from the effective use of Facebook. This tool will help you develop your Facebook account to start sending more traffic to your site and producing high quality links that raise your page rank and generate awareness among potential visitors.
Many people go to Facebook to connect to family and friends and people they have not seen in a long time. There are games to play, silly gifts to give and all kinds of other “Fun” things to do. However, there are many ways that Facebook can be used to promote your business as well. First, although Facebook has the option of creating a business account, it is better for you to set up a Personal Profile for yourself that will be solely used for the purpose of promoting your business. The reason for this is that a Business account on Facebook is limited in functionality. According to its description of Business Accounts, Facebook states:

Business accounts are designed for individuals who only want to use the site to administer Pages and their ad campaigns. For this reason, business accounts do not have the same functionality as personal accounts. Business accounts have limited access to information on the site. An individual with a business account can view all the Pages and Social Ads that they have created, however they will not be able to view the profiles of users on the site or other content on the site that does not live on the Pages they administer.
In addition, business accounts cannot be found in search and cannot send or receive friend requests.

Setting up your Profile
It is very important that you familiarize yourself with Facebook’s Terms of Rights and Responsibilities in order to make sure you are following their rules. For example, Facebook has a policy that does not allow people to maintain multiple accounts. Therefore, if you already have a personal account, you will either need to set up the company profile under the name of someone else in your company that does not already have an account with Facebook or forgo using your personal account for anything other than to promote your business.
Once you have created an account for your business, fill out your profile as completely as you can. This is your best advertisement and will help you start to establish your brand. Be sure and include your contact information along with your personal web site or blog URL. You can upload a professional or business casual head shot of yourself as your main profile photo in order to add to your professional image and put a personal touch on your page. If you wear a uniform all of the time, you may want to wear your uniform for your profile photograph. Remember you are your brand so you want to pay attention to all of
the details that will help build your brand.

Managing your Settings
As soon as you get your profile started, you need to go into the settings in your Facebook account and set your preferences that allows you to keep parts of your profile private. For example, you may want to have personal pictures there for your friends and family to see that you may not want clients to see. You have the ability to set your preferences so that only those you allow will see this personal information. You also have the ability to prevent others from posting to your page, or to keep updates from others’ pages from showing up as a post on yours.

You don’t want to take the chance of something inappropriate appearing on your Facebook page if someone in your network were to post something like that on theirs. Believe us, We’ve seen it happen. Next, when setting up your page, Facebook offers 20 + pages of Applications such as the Blog RSS Feed Reader Ap, which you can customize to look like a mini version of your actual blog or web page, that allows you to integrate feeds from your company’s blog if you have one as well as to other social networking accounts that you have set up. Use the information tab of your profile to provide links to specific pages on your website such as your contact form or products and services page, along with information on how your readers can subscribe to your blog or newsletter. According to Allison Driscoll, author of 8 Essential Apps for Your Brand’s Facebook Page, that may help to give you a better understanding of the Applications she has chosen for her list and may be appropriate for your business.

Begin Networking!
Following are 15 key steps that are relatively simple but will allow you to have
maximize your success with using Facebook to promote your website:

1. Vanity URL: Now that you’ve gotten your Facebook up and running you can reach out and connect with potential customers and business affiliates. In June of 2009, Facebook added the Vanity URL feature not previously available on the site. This is a URL that you can create which is specific to your page, is static and can be used to help others find your profile easier.

2. You can include your Social Networking URLs in the signature line on all of your emails as well as posted on your website. In addition, you can feature this unique URL on all of your business supplies such as business cards and letter head.

3. Search Feature: Use the Search feature at the top of your Facebook pages, using key terms such as Business Networking, Business Marketing, Intellectual Property and so on to look for people and businesses in your industry that you can connect with. A list will generate featuring People, Pages, Groups, Applications, Events, Web Results, Posts by Friends and Posts by Everyone found as a result of your key term search. Try multiple search terms, including pluralities of words to make the most out of your searches. Search often as new profiles are added to Facebook each and every day.

4. Start sending Friend Requests: Click on the link for People and scroll through the list looking for potential leads and contacts. Send friend invites to anyone who you feel would be a good contact for you and your business. As your list grows, you will also see that every time you refresh your home page, Facebook gives suggestions of others who you may potentially want to connect with based on those already in your friends list. Check there every time you fresh your homepage to see if there are others who may be of potential interest that you can also connect with.

5. Join Networking Groups: From your original search list, click on the link for Groups. Search for groups and fan pages that you feel are relevant to your business and industry that may be of interest to you or who’s fans you feel would benefit from your products and services.

6. Click the link to become a fan and then post a quick hello in the Write Something box to introduce yourself to others in the group. Go back often to the groups you join and post things that you feel will of interest to the group.

7. Create a Group(s) of Your Own: Go to your home page and click on the Groups link on the left hand side of the page. A list of the groups you are a fan of will pop up. There you can create a group or groups of your own that is pertinent to your industry and will be searchable based on the terms you feature in the title and within the posts that you and your “fans” post to the group. Make sure it is
set so that your group members can invite their “friends” to join the group as well. Be sure and mention your Facebook group on your main Facebook page, in your blog and on your website. As more people come to your group, they will invite others to the join the group and the group will continue to grow.

8. Create a Discussion Board: Facebook features a Discussion Board Application that you can use in conjunction with your Facebook page. Featuring a Discussion Board allows you the opportunity to post nteresting topics pertinent to your business and in turn enables your customers and potential prospects to tell you what they think, feel and desire. It will help you get to know your customers better putting you in a better position to customize your products and services to your customers needs.

9. Keep a Calendar of Events: If you are planning to attend or host a business function that will be open to the public or perhaps you will be traveling to a specific part of the country, post a calendar on your Facebook page (they have one in the 20+ pages of available applications) letting your readers know. Post upcoming events including webinars, conferences and any other upcoming events you will or someone from you business will attend or host.

10. Stay Active and Current: And post regularly on your Facebook Profile Page, Group(s), Fan Pages and on your Discussion Boards in order to keep your group members interested and coming back for more. Post interesting tidbits that are relevant to your field. Remember as each person connects with you, you have the potential to connect with everyone they are connected with.

11. Build Awareness: Facebook offers very affordable, targeted cost-per-click advertising options that can be laser-targeted to the city you do business in. You only pay per click, so costs are minimal. Also, a Facebook page or group can be created to help get the word out about your organization.

12. Distribute Information: Local businesses need to affordably communicate events, news, products and services. Facebook allows you to leverage your personal and professional contacts to share information– for free.

13. Create Community: Social networking serves to bring people together. Your local business can brand, build, and boost business by creating a Facebook page or group so your local contacts can converse with each other. Let your community become your best sales people and free focus group. Listen to the conversations and allow raving fans to share and get in on the conversation.

14. Offer Additional Customer Service: Through Facebook, you can answer questions, receive free feedback, promote events, and provide news to be of additional service to your locally-based audience. Facebook gives your prospective and current customers an additional web option to find and connect with you.

15. Boost Sales: Local businesses have to fight harder than ever to survive in this tough economy, but your business can have a competitive edge with Facebook. Tapping free social networking tools like Facebook to build awareness, share information, educate, build community, increase connection, and enhance customer service will all work in unison to make sales.