Bulletproof Hosting

Bulletproof web Hosting

Bulletproof hosting, which is also sometimes referred to as bulk-friendly hosting is general term that refers to domain or web hosting that is very lenient in terms of the level of freedom given to the host’s clients. Most service providers have terms of service that place restrictions on the type of content that can be hosted using their services and the way their services are to be used. Often these hosts reserve the right to suspend or terminate specific clients, and do so in the event they begin receiving complaints. In these cases, hosting companies are often trying to protect themselves, as complaints that are not dealt with can lead to traffic their specific subnet being blocked by spam filters, losing them business because of a few troublesome clients.

Bulletproof hosting, on the other hand, aims to cater specifically to clients who do not want to worry about restrictions on the type of content they can upload. Thus bulletproof hosts have very lenient terms of service and rarely take action against their clients as a result of external complaints, which in a sense provides their clients a shield against external investigation and shutdown. While bulletproof hosts advertise this as a feature, they often provide fewer convenience oriented hosting features as a result, as their focus is usually client freedom.

The term bulletproof hosting is often associated with spam and illegitimate activity, because spammers and purveyors of illegal internet content often take advantage of bulletproof hosts’ laissez faire policies to run questionable or illegal operations. These clients, which may be spammers or even hackers, are usually the most well known clients of bulletproof hosts, since their activity receives the most media attention. Bulletproof hosts are often based overseas, which helps some clients evade legal restrictions in their home countries. However, bulletproof hosting itself has no direct connection to illegal or controversial activity; it only refers to a specific kind of hosting.

In keeping with their practices of ensuring client freedom and safety, bulletproof hosting companies will often opt to shut down if they would otherwise be forced to reveal client data. While this seems counterintuitive, compromising client data to keep servers running would violate the guiding principles of bulletproof hosting, which are also the primary selling points for a bulletproof hosting company. Thus clients of bulletproof hosting companies can remain confident their safety is ensured even in the event that the company itself faces heavy pressure or is at risk. The flipside of this is that many bulletproof hosting companies have a high rate of turnover, and cannot always guarantee longevity of service.

Works Cited
“Trend Micro Lifts the Lid on Bullet Proof Hosting.” Infosecurity Magazine. N.p., 16 July 2015. Web. 10 July 2016.
“What Is Bullet proof Hosting?” Norton. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar 2016.