In today’s world, where data is everything, safeguarding your servers from cyberattacks is extremely important.
But do you know how to secure your server? Are you doing enough to prevent hacking attempts and malicious activities from disrupting your business operations?
With cyberattacks getting more sophisticated daily, server security has become critical to any organization’s infrastructure. In fact, according to a report, about 43% of cyber-attacks are now targeted at small businesses. So, it’s not just big corporations that must worry about server safety and setting up secure servers.
As a server owner or administrator, you should be ready to proactively secure it to prevent data breaches. In this article, we’ll look at 12 crucial tips you can apply to secure your server. Implementing these ideas will protect your data and protect your server from cyberattacks.
Let’s start with the most critical question in this discussion.
Table Of Content
What are Secure Servers?
A secure server is a computer system configured and hardened to deter malicious activity, protect sensitive data, and ensure the integrity of web-based communications.
This system is designed to prevent unauthorized access, tampering, or disruption of services.
That means a secure server must have an effective security policy that regularly updates software and hardware subsystems and appropriately manages user access.
The Importance of Securing Your Server
Securing a server takes resources, planning, and time. So why should you invest in activities that don’t directly impact the bottom line?
It’s elementary!
Without secure servers, you leave your system and data open to cyberattacks, theft, and other malicious activity.
Hackers can gain access by exploiting known vulnerabilities in software or hardware installed on the server. Once they have access, they can steal sensitive information or even manipulate, delete, or corrupt your data.
That’s why you must secure your server to protect your business’s reputation and revenues.
How Can Hackers Attack Your Servers?
Attackers use a long list of techniques to compromise systems. These include exploiting known vulnerabilities in software, stealing passwords, and using social engineering tactics.
Each type of attack targets different system elements, so administrators must understand the different types of attacks they would need to manage and mitigate.
Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Distributed-Denial-of-Service Attacks (DDoS)
A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is a malicious attempt that makes a server or computer unavailable for legitimate users.
The attacker typically sends an overwhelming amount of traffic to the target computer, which causes it to crash or become inaccessible.
Attackers can also mount a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, similar to a DoS but using multiple computers to attack a target.
Code Injection
Code injection is an attack where the attacker injects malicious code into an application’s database through the text areas. This malicious code can be used to gain access to sensitive data, modify existing data, or even execute commands on the server.
Cross-Site Scripting
CrossSite Scripting (XSS) is an attack vector that can be used to inject malicious code into a vulnerable website or application. XSS attacks can steal user data, launch phishing campaigns and even hijack users’ web browsers.
12 Actionable Tips to Protect Your Servers
Now that you know the types of attacks you might face in your quest to secure your servers, let’s discuss the 12 simple steps to protect your servers.
Tip # 1: Use Strong Passwords
Creating strong passwords is the first step to securing a server. Weak passwords can be easily guessed or cracked, giving malicious users access to the system. Creating complex passwords (unique combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols) that are hard to guess and exploit is essential.
Here are some tips for creating strong passwords:
- Use at least 8 characters in your password
- Use upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols
- Do not use words or phrases that can be found in a dictionary
- Avoid using personal information, such as birthdays or names
- Change your password regularly
Tip # 2: Double the Protection with Two-factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a robust security measure that requires two separate authentication factors to access an account or server. This simple authentication process adds an extra layer of protection and makes it more difficult for attackers to access sensitive data on the server.
In a typical 2FA setup, the first factor is typically a username and password combination. The second is something you have, like a smartphone running an authentication app or a physical device, such as a key fob. It’s critical to choose a 2FA system that is secure and easy to use. Examples include Google Authenticator app or YubiKey.
Tip # 3: Generate An SSH Key Pair
An SSH key pair is a form of authentication that is used to secure access to a server. It consists of two components: a public key and a private key. The server uses the public key to verify that the user has permission to connect, while the private key is kept secret by the user and used during the authentication process.
You can generate an SSH key pair in several ways, including using the ssh-keygen command line tool or through a web-based interface such as GitHub or Bitbucket. It’s essential to keep track of your SSH key pairs and store them securely.
Tip # 4: Apply Server Updates Regularly
Keeping your server software stack updated is one of the most critical steps in server security. Software developers release updates to fix vulnerabilities discovered by the users. That’s why regularly updating your software can protect your server by closing off loopholes that could compromise your server.
Tip # 5: Set Up a Regular Update Schedule
Create a regular update schedule and stick to it. This should include both software and hardware subsystems. For software updates, ensure you run the latest operating system versions and any other software packages installed on the server. Similarly, keeping firmware up to date for critical hardware components such as routers and firewalls is vital.
Tip # 6: Utilize Automated Patching
Automated patching tools can ensure that all updates are applied quickly and efficiently. Server admins can set up these tools to automatically deploy updates as soon as they become available, keeping your server secure and up to date.
Tip # 7: Install and Configure Firewalls
Firewalls are an essential aspect of securing a server. Firewalls set up an additional layer of security that restricts malicious actors from accessing the system. They continuously monitor incoming and outgoing network traffic and help prevent intrusion attempts.
The first step in using a firewall is to configure it correctly. This includes setting up rules about which ports should be blocked, which IP addresses should be allowed/denied, and other settings necessary to secure the server.
Next, the server admins should regularly monitor firewall operations and update the rules to adapt them to the changing security landscape.
Tip # 8: Consider Using Linux as Your Web Server Operating System
If you’re looking for an operating system for your web server, Linux is the most popular choice. It’s highly secure, reliable, and cost-effective. Furthermore, its open-source nature allows for greater security-focused customization than other alternatives.
Tip # 9: Limit Superuser/Root Access
Managing and protecting servers from unauthorized access is critical to securing the server. The most basic requirement is to limit superuser/root access. This means giving sudo privileges only to accounts requiring them and ensuring these privileges are not misused or abused by anyone with malicious intent.
Tip # 10: Utilize VPNs and Private Networks
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Private Networks can hide your server from prying eyes and protect it from unauthorized access, malicious attacks, and data theft.
Tip # 11: Use a Multi-Server Environment
A multi-server environment is one of the best ways to secure your server. This setup allows you to spread resources across multiple physical and virtual machines, making it more difficult for malicious actors or unauthorized users to control all server resources. For example, system administrators can isolate web files and database servers on two (or more) different physical or virtual servers to keep data safe and secure.
Tip # 12: Employ Dedicated Servers for Maximum Security
Nothing beats a dedicated server when it comes to keeping your server secure. Dedicated servers are typically housed in data centers with round-the-clock monitoring and physical security, making them much more difficult to hack than other types of hosting.
With dedicated servers, you get complete control over your environment, allowing you to customize security settings and access privileges to suit your needs.
Conclusion
You can secure your server from most cyberattacks and data breaches by implementing these 12 tips. Secure servers are critical to sustaining business operations. You can only accomplish this by making server safety your number one priority.
You need to ensure that your server security measures are always up to date. You must remain vigilant to catch potential security threats early to nip security incidents in the bud.
Secure your servers with the help of the RedSwitches support experts. If you’re looking for a secure server solution, RedSwitches bare metal server are an ideal fit for your projects. With RedSwitches, you can rest assured knowing that your data is protected with the highest level of security.
FAQs
Q1: Are Linux servers more secure?
The answer is a definite yes! Linux is an open-source operating system, meaning its source code is freely available to the public and can be easily inspected by security experts. This makes finding and fixing potential security flaws much easier, making it far more secure than proprietary software.
Q2: What are the benefits of using a dedicated server for security?
The main benefit of using a dedicated server for security is full control over your environment. You can customize security settings and access privileges to suit your needs and benefit from the added layer of protection provided by physical data centers. Dedicated servers are also typically more difficult to physically hack than other types of hosting due to their secure location.
Q3: What is a server security policy?
A server security policy is a set of guidelines that govern how a server should be configured to protect the hosted data and resources. It outlines the acceptable use of servers, procedures to follow during a security breach, and any other pertinent information regarding server protection. The goal is to provide a well-documented infrastructure security process that meets operational business requirements. The policy should address physical access control, user-role privileges, and whitelisted/blacklisted apps and sources.
