Web Server

Securing phpMyAdmin on a Shared Server

Nowadays, most of the web hosts have in-built support for phpMyAdmin. But there are quite a few web hosts which do not support phpMyAdmin and you have to manually install it. I had to do the same with my webhost, FutureQuest (Affiliate link), though I am very happy with their services as yet.

Installing phpMyAdmin is not a very difficult preposition but by default it operates in the least secure way which is useful for local server only. Hence it becomes extremely essential to secure phpMyAdmin, else all your website data would be open to smart users of the internet. The following tips would ensure nobody gets access to your database even by accident!

Installing Apache, PHP, MySQL, phpMyAdmin in Windows XP/Vista

It would be great to have a server of your own. If you own a computer, you can turn it into a server by installing some software. Though how that extends the capability of your computer is a different matter altogether.

If you ever plan to go dynamic with your website, you would need a server to handle the backend. Now, Windows comes with its own server called Internet Information Services (IIS) but take my advice and get yourself Apache due to its high configurability and open support. In addition to setting up the server, I will also help you setup PHP, a dynamic server side scripting language; MySQL, a database backend for your website; PHPMyAdmin, to avoid the command line interface of MySQL and a few tweaks for a freshly installed server!

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