How to Harden Your VPS Server Against Unauthorized Access
Now that it’s the heyday of digitalization, make your virtual private server (VPS) security a top priority. Cyber-attacks are retroactively pursuing the tech world, and a VPS without the protective cover can serve as a low-hanging fruit for hackers and, consequently, threaten valuable data breaches, service interruptions, and unauthorized accounts. This is why it is so important to take proactive steps to secure your VPS server immediately and take services from a reliable and reputed hosting service provider like Liquid Web.
Liquid Web is the name of the company that really helps you with VPS hosting solutions. However, an unsecured server still becomes your only problem. On the one hand, installing strong security features will protect your crucial information and keep your server in the best working condition. The best practices to follow are to use a firewall, use SSH, and log in with a secure password. To learn more details, be sure to read this article.
Update and Patch Regularly
Securing a VPS is very important, and one of the easiest methods of ensuring it is by installing the operating system and the software. Regular installations include security patches that hackers commonly use to break into the system.
- Turn on the updates that are available all by themselves.
- Do not forget to look at the updates and security patches every so often.
- By getting rid of anything old and not essential, the chances for someone to intrude decrease immensely.
Use Strong Authentication Methods
One crucial way attackers get into VPS servers is through weak passwords, authentications, etc. Therefore, the best way to secure your VPS servers is to use strong Authentication methods.
- Instead of passwords, use SSH keys for verification.
- Implement strict password rules that require long and hard-to-remember passwords.
- Implement two-factor authentication (2FA) for an extra layer of security.
Configure a Firewall
The first thing a firewall does is stand in front of traffic and filter it based on security rules that tolerate what is coming and going.
- Set up your own rules through IP tables or UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall).
- Prevent unauthorized users from accessing SSH and other essential services.
- Cut down the ports that are not necessary and then allow only those that come from credible IP addresses.
Disable Root Login
Allowing direct root login increases the chance of brute-force attacks. A far better way to enhance security would be to stop root access and use a lower-privileged user account.
- Grant the new user with sudo permissions.
- Prevent root access by modifying the SSH configuration file (/etc/ssh/sshd_config) and adding the line PermitRootLogin no.
- Whenever changes are made to the SSH service, it needs to be rebooted.
Implement Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems
Server monitoring for suspicious activity will allow us to detect and mitigate threats at an early stage.
- Install fail2ban to prevent brute-force attacks.
- Tools such as AIDE (Advanced Intrusion Detection Environment) to check file integrity are also suitable for detecting intrusions.
- Always check your server logs for strange activities.
Conclusion
Securing your VPS server is a continuous process that requires regular monitoring and updates. The availability of prohibited access is vastly reduced, and your data is protected from cyber threats when you adopt these security best practices. For example, Liquid Web, a hosting provider that offers robust VPS solutions, ensuring more security on your end is still a good idea.
We hope you enjoyed this promoted piece as much as we did!
