A new certification aimed at improving trust, transparency, and abuse prevention in the hosting industry is preparing to roll out, with support from some of the biggest players in the WordPress space.

The Secure Hosting Alliance, a coalition of 24 companies — including GoDaddy, Automattic, SiteGround, Hostinger, DreamHost, Newfold Digital, 20i and BigScoots — launched in February and plans to start certifying providers as part of its new Trust Seal program in August. The goal: to establish a baseline standard for ethical hosting and provide a way for responsible providers to show they’re doing more than the bare minimum.

“This is a floor,” said David Snead, Director of the Secure Hosting Alliance and co-founder of the Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition). “It’s a way to create a platform for hosts to begin to iterate on ways to make the hosting industry better.”

To qualify, companies must meet requirements across four areas: transparency, infrastructure misuse protocols, network reliability, and how they handle government data requests. The seal is licensed — not awarded permanently — and can be taken away if standards aren’t maintained.

Early participants in the SHA will also help define the Trust Seal program. As the certification framework takes shape, member companies will have the opportunity to contribute to the standards the Trust Seal represents, and shape how it evolves over time.

Snead said 10-15 companies are expected to complete the certification process by the end of September. Around 60% are based outside the U.S., and the group ranges from “market leaders to two guys and a server in their grandma’s basement.”

While still in its early stages, the Trust Seal program has the potential to impact the WordPress space more directly. Several founding members operate large hosting brands, while others run infrastructure used by agencies and developers. At a time when trust in hosting providers is being tested, and calls for better standards are growing, the alliance wants to offer a credible, industry-driven alternative to regulation.

That intent was clear when the i2Coalition first proposed the initiative last year: “It’s time for hosting providers to stop competing on price and end the race to the bottom… responsible actors in the web hosting industry have an opportunity to strengthen this sector and prevent crippling legislation.”

James Webb, CEO of BigScoots, said his hosting company joined the initiative to help drive change. “It’s the intent, right? We’re doing good things for the right reasons,” he said. “Essentially we’re trying to change the world through good intention.”

Webb said BigScoots already meets the seal’s requirements, including abuse queue management and infrastructure reliability. “It’s a demonstration that we are committed to our clients, we’re committed to the public, committed to consumers to act on their behalf in the best possible way.”

Snead said the Trust Seal is just the beginning. Agencies may start looking for it when vetting providers, and over time, the certification will evolve as members respond to emerging threats.

“This isn’t a one-and-done,” he said. “Everything that’s done as part of the SHA is driven by hosts themselves.”

Disclosure: BigScoots is a sponsor of The Repository.

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