23 October 2026
Critical PHP Security Updates Completed Across iStartCloud Hosting Servers
We updated PHP on our Plesk hosting servers on 22 October 2026 after two critical vulnerabilities were disclosed. What changed and what to check.
The iStartCloud journal
Hosting notes, guides and updates.
Practical articles from iStartCloud about web hosting, email and keeping your website secure.
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15 December 2025
Site Conversion: Keep What Works
A WordPress site can be converted into a new website that keeps the pages and useful functions your business relies on, without carrying every theme and plugin across.
6 July 2024
5 Reasons Your Small Business Needs a Professional Email Address
Why an email address at your own domain helps a small business, which address formats work best and how to set one up with iStartCloud.
29 June 2024
WordPress Toolkit: Easier WordPress Hosting in South Africa
How WordPress Toolkit and CloudLinux on iStartCloud's Plesk hosting help you install, update, test and secure WordPress sites.
28 June 2024
How to Choose Professional Email Hosting in South Africa
What to check before choosing email hosting in South Africa: device support, mailbox limits, attachment size, spam filtering, security and support.
27 June 2024
How to Choose the Right Web Hosting Plan for Your Business
How to pick between iStartCloud's Shared, Power, Business and Email hosting plans, based on your website, your mailboxes and how busy your site is.
1 June 2024
How to Select the Best Web Hosting Provider for Your Needs in South Africa
What to check when choosing a web hosting provider in South Africa: your site's needs, uptime, server location, security, control panel and support.
1 May 2024
How to Choose the Right Domain Name for Your South African Website
How to choose a domain name for a South African business: keep it short, make it fit, choose between .co.za and .com, and protect your brand.
13 January 2023
Phishing and Scam Email Warning
Some clients have received scam emails pretending to be about their hosting, domains or mailboxes. How to spot them and check if an email is from us.
25 April 2020
What Is Grav CMS, and Which Hosting Plan Suits It?
Grav is a flat-file CMS that needs no database, so it runs well on shared hosting. What it is, what it suits and which iStartCloud plan to choose.
9 April 2020
What Is a CMS, Like WordPress, Drupal or Joomla?
What a content management system is, where WordPress, Drupal and Joomla fit, and the pros and cons of open-source CMS software for a small business.
1 April 2020
Getting Started with Shared Web Hosting
Starting a business website? What to decide before you choose shared hosting: what the site is for, how it will be built, your domain and payments.
30 March 2020
What Is Shared Web Hosting?
Shared web hosting puts many websites on one server so they share the cost. How it works, its pros and cons, and when it's the right choice.