This type of web hosting is free, and it is suitable for a small site with low traffic. However, there are a lot of disadvantages that is attached to it. These are: limited web space and a lot of restrictions that are imposed by the HSP or ISP; limited technical and database support; web site is bombarded with inline ads, popups, banners, flash advertising, and other sort of advertising campaign that is generated by the HSP or ISP to be able to offset the cost of maintaining their server; you may not be able to use your own domain name, and instead there will be one that is already provided by your HSP or ISP which is sometimes not professional, hard to remember, and hard to type.

Aside from the basic ones, there are also advanced types of web hosting that you can choose from: dedicated web hosting, managed web hosting, server co-location web hosting, and reseller web hosting, and each has their advantages and disadvantages.

In choosing the right web hosting for you, you have to base your decision on the following: budget, whether for private or business use, traffic volume of your site, storage space needed, level of security and control you need, level of resources allowable by your choice of HSP or ISP, and the number of software or applications needed to run your website.

Increasingly, the web has been hosting the collection and analysis of sensitive data. Sometimes, there are news stories wherein web sites are being defaced and important data being stolen or corrupted. These threats cannot go unaddressed and so standards to secure and protect web sites and their data were developed. These standards are also meant to limit the risks that are usually associated with using web based applications that host sensitive data.

These security standards are divided into Physical Security and Operating System Security. Physical Security refers to securing the actual location of the web server and its storage devices while Operating System Security involves the components; limited services, privilege access, limited accounts and authentication.

Web application resides on a company?s Web server, and can be accessed over a network, such as the World Wide Web or an Internet. It is a three-layered application, the Web browser, the content generation technology tool such as Java servlets or ASP (Active Server Pages), and the company?s database. The Web browser makes the initial request to the database to perform the requested task, either by retrieving information from the database, or by updating it. Since Web applications reside on a server, they can be updated and modified anytime without distribution or installation of software on the client?s machines,. That is why there is the widespread adoption of Web applications in today?s organizations such as shopping carts, forms, login pages, dynamic content, discussion boards and blogs.

Web survey subjects must be prevented from viewing any survey records other than their own. Survey respondents must be informed of any personal data collected about them without their knowledge. Respondents must be given the option of not providing such information or not completing the survey before personal data are collected. Use of ?web bugs,? URL keywords, or other methods to track respondents? identity without their knowledge is inappropriate unless survey respondents are informed in advance that personal information will be collected. Web sites collecting personally-identifiable survey information must provide on their web page a privacy statement that describes the kind of information that is collected, how it is to be used, and how it may be disclosed.

Jon Caldwell is a professional content manager. Much of his articles can be found at http://basicwebapplications.com