The Bluehost data center is the best in the business. While no system escapes the occasional problem, especially one with as many moving parts as a data center, our professional admin team is always on hand 24/7 to monitor our servers, replace and upgrade equipment, and ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible. But even when running perfectly, data loss still happens. The most common cause? Human error: people accidentally delete or overwrite existing files or emails.

Redundancy, Redundancy, Redundancy

Our internal backups can be super helpful when tragedy strikes, but the timing of these does not always capture the latest changes made to your website. That’s why we recommend you make your own personal backup every time you make significant changes to your site. And even if you aren’t often updating your website, regular monthly backups make it much easier to restore data if needed.

Here’s how to create backups of your files:

1. Login to your cPanel.
2. Scroll down to the ‘Files’ section and click the ‘Site Backup & Restore’ icon.
3. Select ‘Full cPanel Backup’.
4. Select the starting date from when you want to create a backup.
5. Select an archive type (.tar or .zip).
6. Download and Save the file.

It’s just that easy to create a reliable backup of your files right on your home computer for safe keeping. It just takes a few minutes to go through these steps and can help you avoid a lot of frustration and heartache. As always, call us if you have questions or need a hand!

One More Tip

Are you an advanced website builder? Lots of our clients prefer using more sophisticated backup tools. Our Site Backup & Restore Pro tool allows even more control when restoring and backing up files: you can elect to restore only individual files, only the files that have changed, or just databases and tables. Check it out!

Camille B.
Billing Manager

Did you know there are things you can do, related to your password, that can help ensure your information remains secure? Here are a handful of important tips:

TIP 1 – Make sure your password is secure.

• Use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters
• Use a combination of capital and lower case letters
• Use many characters (at least 8 )
• Avoid full-length words from the dictionary
• When using words, use “made up” words or combine many into one
• Avoid familiar items (names, phone numbers, birthdays)
• Avoid common passwords and generic sequences (“password”, “admin”, “12345”)

TIP 2 – Protect your password.

• Memorize your password and do not write it down
• Do not share your password
• Do not use the same password as with other services (Gmail, Yahoo, Apple)
• Avoid using one password for all your logins
• Avoid logging in from public computers
• Change your password frequently
• Be wary of permitting browsers or applications of automatically remembering passwords

TIP 3 – Keep your email address up to date.

Our “Forgot Password” link is always available on your cPanel login page. It issues a link to the email address listed on your account that allows you to create a new password. Therefore, it’s imperative your email address be up-do-date so this link can reach you if needed. And we can manually send you this email: just open a live chat, create a ticket through helpdesk, or give us a call (888-401-4678).

TIP 4 - Memorize the last four characters of your password.

Make the last four characters of your password easy to memorize but not easily guessed. We often ask for these last four characters over the phone to verify account authorization. I’ve included the names of symbols to make speaking and choosing them easier.

At Bluehost, we take security seriously. We do everything possible to keep your information secure, but a lot still depends on you. Thankfully, following these simple tips can help keep the bad guys at bay!

Camille B.
Billing Manager