User name in path

[Odatpup]

Hello,

Example: /home/USER/public_html/domainname.com

Is the "USER" part in the example path above something to be kept private for security? Or is that info available to anyone who really wants it? This is basic I'm sure, for you guys, but I'm new. (Tried asking elsewhere and they didn't seem to know.) Sharing hosting, Apache server. Thanks much.

[jdMorgan]

I would certainly recommend keeping everything above your document_root (domainname.com in your example) private. I haven't thought about this much, but I notice that many of my hosting accounts "hash" that account name. For example, for the fictitious Acme Demolition Supply company, it might be Acme1Demo2 -- or something similar to, but not directly derivable from, the registered company name.

It's a well-known truism -- "Knowledge is power." So keep the troublemakers as powerless as possible.

Jim

[Odatpup]

Thanks for the helpful and timely response.