How to Secure Dedicated Server

When it comes to security in a digital world, no kidding. In this article, you will learn How to Secure Dedicated Server. Certainly, you are here because securing your dedicated server is your priority to host your web apps and websites correctly and avoid facing data loss, hackers’ penetration, and service interruptions. It is a good idea to learn the reasons dedicated server security is crucial as well as the methods you can employ to safeguard your hosting server.

In the end, you are an expert in what you need to do after buying a dedicated server to practice securing against cyber attackers. To achieve the vital matter of server protection and review the key details, stay with us.

The Importance of Securing your Dedicated Server

Regardless if you are working with a managed or unmanaged dedicated server, security care is vital while the maintenance and security of managed dedicated servers are on your hosting company. Many websites may be hosted on a dedicated server, but only one person or business has control over them all. As you read in the Dedicated Server exclusive article, you know that having a dedicated server means you have full control over your server. On the other hand, it means that configuring and guaranteeing the security of the dedicated server to protect your server is entirely on you.

But why is the security of a dedicated server that important?

1. Software called malware is used to steal data. Usually, it’s concealed and distributed alongside trustworthy programs or scripts. When it is on your server, it will attempt to gather your data. By selecting a hosting company that offers continuous vulnerability scanning and real-time server monitoring, you can best protect your hosted apps from malware.
2. One of the main methods used by hackers to get access to dedicated servers is using short, weak passwords. Making passwords with a random assortment of letters, numbers, and symbols will prevent them from ever having the chance to break in. For the control panel, the FTP account, and your mail services, you should use different passwords. Of course, changing them frequently is also a good idea.
3. Your server’s software is vulnerable to hacker attacks, giving them access. You should only install software that receives regular updates and make sure you run it with the most recent security patches, to prevent such security breaches employing such vulnerabilities.
4. Preventing DDoS attacks: A denial of service attack involves overwhelming your server with traffic and spam in an effort to take it offline. If you fall victim to this significant cyber danger, it will cost you time and money. Choose a dedicated server plan with built-in DDoS protection to prevent harm to your hosted site from a DDoS attack.

Tutorial Secure Dedicated Server

Depending on the kind of security breach we’re talking about, there are many different approaches to protect your dedicated server. This tutorial tries to gather the most used and helpful methods to secure dedicated server. Maintaining the dedicated servers is not complicated. You just need to know how to modify settings and adjustments. We discuss 11 ways to secure dedicated servers in this article. Stay with us to review the most used tips for dedicated server security.

Security Method 1. Check for Software Updates Regularly

It can be harmful to even slightly postpone updating to the most recent security patch. You should therefore regularly check for software upgrades. When a new software update is available, install it on your dedicated server. Utilize a trustworthy dedicated server security scan to stay current and secure.

One of the most common weaknesses that hackers take advantage of is outdated software. The majority of app developers regularly deploy security updates that address any flaws in the safety of their programs. If you don’t download some of these fixes, someone might exploit a vulnerability that is left unpatched. Never rely on services or programs that are out of date. If you use old software, it could not have the patches, security upgrades, and other safeguards required to protect your data.

Security Method 2. Set up Regular Data Backups

Always back up your vital files. You’ll probably experience data loss at some point. No matter how many security precautions you put in place, something can still go wrong, whether it’s because of a hacker assault, hardware failure, or a natural disaster. You ought to possess several You could, for instance, maintain two backups; one on a hard drive in your office and the other on a secure, dedicated server. But, never store all the backups together. At least one of them should be offsite. For more explanation, your dedicated server shouldn’t house your backups. Always make a backup to a different place or cloud storage.

To do this, consider below options:

1. Physical security is required.
2. It ought to be far enough from the primary backup location.
3. Both access and verification are required.

Security Method 3. Safeguard Your Databases

Cybercriminals target weak databases. So, you must care about protecting your database. Make sure your database can withstand SQL injections to avoid a breach. Malicious SQL statements are inserted during a SQL injection attack, which might change the data in your database. To secure dedicated server, you should try to keep everyone’s access to your databases as limited as possible for maximum security. You can accomplish that by minimizing user rights. Delete any unnecessary services and files as well. Especially when you have collected vital and sensitive information about your clients, observe the below options to not be neglected:

1. Limiting database users’ privileges.
2. Remove unnecessary data.
3. When not necessary, avoid areas where customers and the database interact.

Security Method 4. Scan Regularly and Use DDOS protection

A DoS (Denial of Service) attack overloads the system with traffic, which leads to server failure and unavailability. One of the DoS attack types that involve numerous criminal computers cooperating to drain your hardware resources, overwhelm your server with traffic, and harm the experience of reputable customers is the DDoS attack.

It’s critical to prevent DDoS assaults since they render your website or web apps inaccessible to users. Choosing a DDoS-protected dedicated server is the only option to defend against these attacks. These servers include built-in DDoS protection that will keep an eye on all incoming traffic. Connection requests are redirected away from your server when malicious traffic is found. Also, valid traffic is let to proceed, ensuring that your users won’t encounter any interruptions.

Also, to have regular testing, consider below options:

1. Choose a hosting company that provides regular vulnerability scanning.
2. Check your website for strange behavior.
3. Before putting any software on your website, test it on a private, secure home computer.

Security Method 5. Implement a Strict Password Policy

It’s crucial to modify the passwords whenever you purchase a new dedicated server. The reason for this is that your host can employ a default password that raises the possibility of vulnerabilities. Your dedicated server is more susceptible to brute force attacks if you use a weak password. You ought to use uppercase and lowercase characters, random numbers, and symbols to construct a strong password. Avoid using personal or words that are simple to guess as your password. The same holds true for each and every additional user account you create.

To secure dedicated server, each person needs to have their own strong password. The passwords should also be regularly changed every predetermined number of days. This virtually eliminates the possibility of hackers brute-forcing your password or breaking into your account. Consider enhancing your accounts with two-factor authentication in addition to this security step. Your dedicated server will be protected from unauthorized access in this manner.

Security Method 6. Delete Outdated & Unused Software

A web server automatically starts a lot of standard services as well. Of course, what is required will depend on your demands. Disable the services that log a user onto the server, such as FTP, if you don’t use them.

It’s simple to overlook unused software, and if you don’t open it, it won’t get security upgrades. This is especially true for applications and services that you use just once before forgetting about. Unused software might be exploited by hackers to gain access to your dedicated server and steal private data. Just removing unnecessary software is the answer.

Security Method 7. Purchase a Managed Dedicated Server

You are recommended to purchase a managed dedicated server, not an unmanaged one. Managed dedicated servers are managed by a team of IT professionals who will maintain all of your databases and software up to date, regularly back up your data, and constantly check for suspicious activities. The hosting company will take care of every aspect of server security. So, you are recommended to use a managed dedicated server which is an offered service by most hosting providers.

Generally, if you don’t have the time or the necessary skills, sacrificing the security of your dedicated server could cost you thousands of dollars. Make contact with experts who will look after your dedicated server.

Security Method 8. Make Individual Accounts for each User

To secure dedicated server, it should only allow root access to the system administrator. A root user with administrative privileges is created by every operating system. The root credentials should, of course, be changed to a safe password or passphrase. Also, it’s recommended to refrain from accessing the server as root on a regular basis. Each user of the server should have their own account with only the necessary permissions. In this way, it would not be possible for anyone to install software that may turn out to be malicious.

Only the server administrator should have access to these permissions. Other users may have restricted access, which would only permit them to carry out their jobs. Also, with the “su root” command and the root password, you can gain root access whenever you need to perform a task on the server.

The administrator may also have a personal account. It is not recommended to always log in with root access in case you forget to log out of the admin account. Finally, if you do permit several users to access the server, make sure they are always connecting over trusted networks.

Security Method 9. Select only Secure Networks

To ensure have a secure dedicated server, you are advised to use only secure connections to log into your hosting account while connecting to your dedicated server. Public networks are unsafe, and the security of your dedicated hosting account depends on how strong the network’s strongest link is. Your login information could be made public if you utilize an open WiFi network at a hotel to log in. You should therefore only use reputable networks.

The security of your server is only as strong as its weakest link. Also, if a user checks in from a place using an unsafe Wi-Fi connection, their login information could be stolen.

Security Method 10. Modify the SSH Port

An ordinary SSH port is used by many services. In order to compromise the security of your dedicated server, hackers are aware to target that particular port. The most exposed port is the SSH listening port. Hackers employ scanning tools to hunt for hosts that haven’t changed the SSH port because it’s set to 22 by default.

Change your SSH port right away to thwart brute force assaults. It can be changed to any other port, however, it’s recommended that you change it to one with a greater value than 1024. Port scanners typically work within predefined ranges and infrequently scan above 1024. By doing this, you can prevent automated scanners and bots from seeing your SSH port.

Security Method 11. Use a Good Firewall

If your servers have any vulnerabilities, attackers may exploit them to misuse important and confidential data. So, to have a secure dedicated server, choose a dedicated server with top-notch hardware and ample system resources. To prevent harmful data from reaching your server, choose a hosting company that offers a good perimeter firewall.

Conclusion

In this article, you learned how to secure dedicated server. Although dedicated servers are inherently secure, you still need to implement security precautions. As you have complete control over the server’s settings and configuration, you are also in charge of the security of the server. A crucial aspect of web hosting is protecting your dedicated server. Your hosted services are susceptible to viruses, password breaches, and DDoS assaults if the proper security steps aren’t taken. Assuring that the server’s users are following good security procedures is the best way to secure a dedicated server.

This tutorial explained the 11 most important and key ways to secure dedicated server to help you consider the vital options and be safe from cyberattacks. It is good to know that you will ultimately save a ton of time and money by protecting your dedicated server using the best practices in cybersecurity. Do not hesitate to share with us any other useful method to secure dedicated server.