Whether you’re a web host or an individual hosting their own site, there are many security measures that you can take to protect your server. These steps can help you prevent hackers from accessing your server.
VPS technology revolves around dividing a bare metal server into virtual machines using a hypervisor. This system keeps the VPS instances isolated from each other while allowing users to use their resources efficiently.
Disabling Root Logins
If you’re running a security vps, you want to ensure that only authorised users can log into your server. One way to do this is by disabling root logins. This will prevent hackers from using brute force attacks to gain access to your server.
Having root access to a Linux server can be dangerous. It allows you to make changes that can render your entire system unusable if you’re not careful. To avoid this, it’s essential to only change files and settings that are vital for the operation of your system.
It’s also important to keep your server backed up regularly. This helps prevent data loss and makes it easier to identify any problems that could compromise your security.
Another great security measure is to use two-factor authentication with WHM or cPanel. This means that you’ll have to provide a security code in addition to a username and password. This can help protect your VPS from hacking attempts, especially when you’re not at home.
For additional security, you can enable a host of features such as file auditing and isolated execution environments (with Docker). These will help keep your server secure from attacks by protecting sensitive files from unauthorized users.
Aside from these, you can also use an IPv6 firewall to close all of the ports on your server except for those that are required by the applications you run. This can help prevent hackers from gaining access to your server by sending malicious traffic through them.
Alternatively, you can disable the root user from logging into the console by editing the /etc/securetty file. This file lists all of the TTY devices on your computer system.
This file is used by programs such as login, display managers and other network services that launch a TTY. When you disable the root account from logging into the console, these programs will no longer be able to connect to your computer system via a TTY.
This is a good security measure for any Linux server because it stops hackers from gaining access to your VPS. Moreover, it’s easy to enable and maintain. Simply edit the /etc/securetty folder, remove the line that reads PermitRootLogin and replace it with No. This will prevent the root user from logging into your computer system via any TTY device, such as the terminal or Telnet.
Disabling IPv6
IPv6 is the latest iteration of the Internet Protocol, created because there were not enough new addresses to go around. It is faster than its predecessor, and it has some additional features.
The most notable of these is mobility, which allows hosts such as mobile devices to remain connected to the same IP address even when they are in different locations. It also supports anycast addressing, which enables routing protocols to route packets to one or more interfaces that belong to various nodes.
Auto-configuration is another feature of IPv6, which allows network devices to self-configure themselves and automatically update their IP address. This can save time for IT teams since they do not have to manually assign and update IP addresses.
This feature can be useful for devices that are not in use often, but it can also cause issues with hardware. For example, an attacker could exploit a security vulnerability in the software that controls network address translation (NAT) on an IPv6 router to gain access to private networks or other resources.
However, this can be prevented by disabling IPv6 on the Linux operating system. To do so, simply remove the ipv6 kernel module and then reboot the machine.
You can also configure stateful ingress and egress rules to allow or block IPv6 traffic on the VCN. Choosing stateful ingress will let your instances receive Path MTU Discovery fragmentation messages, and selecting stateful egress lets them initiate IPv6 traffic of any kind to any destination.
Depending on your firewall configuration, you may be able to enable IPv6 as an option for DHCP servers. This can speed up DHCP responses and ensure that the correct DHCP server is selected, which can make it easier to manage network devices.
Although IPv6 is still not widely adopted, it will soon become the default protocol used for communications across the internet. As a result, it is likely that you will be exposed to security threats on the network as more and more people start using this version of the Internet Protocol.
In order to prevent this, it is advisable to disable IPv6 on the security vps. This will keep the network secure and prevent any data from being sent out of the VPS without permission. If your system is running a Linux-based operating system, it is recommended to use a decent firewall to control access to the network. This is especially important with IPv6 because there are a lot of applications that rely on IPv6 sockets.
Changing the Working Directory
Security vps is a critical element for any web server, especially if you have sensitive data and programs stored on the system. Even a minor vulnerability can have disastrous consequences for your VPS and your business.
One of the most basic ways to protect your VPS from hackers is to change the working directory. This will make it difficult for cybercriminals to find and exploit your server, thereby protecting your data and programs.
This can be done through a simple command line interface, such as Linux. You can also automate this process by using a cron job, which is a Linux-based utility that schedules a specific command or script on your VPS to run at a specified time and date.
Another way to ensure your server’s security is to regularly update the operating system and other software that runs on it. It’s common for developers to release security patches and updates to address common vulnerabilities, so you should be aware of these and install them as soon as they’re available.
For example, if you want to update the software that runs on your server, you can use the apt-get or yum command-line tools to perform this task. You can also check for updates and patches through the CVE database.
The /var/log directory on your server is a collection of log files that contain crucial information about the kernel, package managers, and various applications running on your system. It’s important to keep this directory updated as it is the source of information about errors, bugs, and other problems on your system.
By changing your working directory to this location, you can ensure that you’re accessing the most recent information about your server. This will allow you to identify any issues and fix them before they impact the functionality of your server.
The cd command in Linux is a great way to move into different directories and make them the current working directory. It can be used to switch between different folders or to the user’s home directory. The cd command can be appended with the ls command to list the content of the new directory simultaneously. This will save you time as it will allow you to change directories without having to open each individual file separately.
Updating Software
A key component of any server security plan is to ensure that all critical software is updated with the latest security patches. Many open-source communities release these updates on a regular basis, so enabling automatic updates is an excellent way to keep your server up-to-date and secure.
In addition to updating the system itself, you can also take steps to harden it by installing various security modules and tools that are available on the market. These include ModSecurity, Suhosin PHP hardening, and a number of other solutions that can help to protect your website from attacks and hackers.
Another vital aspect of a server security plan is to ensure that all your files are backed up. Backups can help you quickly restore data should a problem arise. Some web hosts offer automated backups that can be stored on the cloud for easy access and recovery in the event of a breakdown.
The next step in ensuring your VPS is secure is to create a strong, unique password. Passwords are the main means of preventing data intrusions on a server, so it’s important to make them difficult to crack by using a combination of capital and lowercase letters, numerals, and special characters.
You can also protect your VPS by limiting user access to specific resources and files. This can be done by implementing file systems like CageFS or VirtFS, which allow you to separate users into isolated sets of files and resources.
This can be especially helpful if you run a business and want to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information from people who don’t have the proper credentials. You can also use a tool such as SELinux to control process initializations, network interfaces, and files, and restrict access to certain directories.
Lastly, you can install a firewall on your VPS to filter out unwanted traffic. This is especially useful if you want to block DDoS attacks and other malicious threats.
Having a server with security features is essential to the success of any business. While it’s not impossible to make your VPS more secure on your own, if you’re not sure what you’re doing, it’s best to leave the task to an expert.