Can a hosting company steal secret website scripts and data from the server? Isn't it like Plug the server disk to their own PC and Copy every data from there..
They wouldn't need to plug anything into anything. Yes, hosting companies have access to the files on your site, including databases. But it's a question of ethics, and if you're with a company who has no regard for a privacy policy, then yes your data is available to them.
Where and why do you think some of the insane hosting offers come from? Stealing the scripts and content is the only way some of these people can make money. No it is not legal. Nor is it moral. But it happens every day. The hosting company has access to every file and database on your site no passwords required.
Of course administrators of servers have direct access to your files. In all honesty, i check clients files / data to ensure malicious and/or security is not breached. I have no interest in clients files, only the malicious ones. As a server administrator, you take responsibility for whats on your server in some ways...
Yes you are right. Sometime Administrator must verify the data. Also i can trust some of hosting companies can steal your data, if they are not professional hosting company or KIDs
Any hosting company that is stealing/redistributing a users files will not be in business long. Negative reviews will out the rear will surely put them out of business sooner rather then latter. And yes, a web hosting company has unrestricted access (will restricted access on a per employee basis, but unrestricted non the less) with or with your password. It becomes a thing of "trust".