Η better safety is important for all those who wish to keep their activity on the internetnetwork intact. The risk of security challenges, starting with the theft of sensitive files and the destruction of your important data, is on the rise. Experts estimate that the damage from cybercrime will reach 6 trillion dollars in the next year.
Under such circumstances, it is natural that everyone would like to implement all possible strategies to stay safe. Here are some tips on how to protect your Server:
Keep backups
There are two classes of people: those who back up from scratch and those who do it the wrong way. Don't be one of the second category. So set up automatic backup so that you can recover your important data in case extraordinary necessity. Be sure to save them remotely, otherwise if something goes wrong with the current server, your data may be lost. Using remote file server solutions like Triofox will cover you.
Protect SSH
This is more relevant for those using a Linux server, as using SSH is more common for Unix-based systems. First, change port 22 to a custom one, as the majority of attacks target the default ports (speaking of ports, it's also worth disabling all unused ports as they can be used to expose your network). Make sure you replace login with a password for SSH keys using a passphrase as it's harder to guess, therefore more secure. Then create a custom user with sudo privileges and disable root. root has the highest right access, and if it has been compromised, your server is fully exposed.
Use SSL
SSL helps create an encrypted channel for exchanging information, between the proletterof the client's browsing and a server, to prevent hacking and theft of passwords, credit card details and other sensitive information being transmitted. So installing an SSL on your website ensures a secure connection.
Set up Server monitoring
Keeping track of your server logs, which are created by basic services and software installed on the server, ensures that you are in control of everything that happens. This way you can identify any troublesome logs, abnormal activity and user traffic and resolve issues before they become critical.
Protection against malicious attacks
In an effort to protect your server from malicious attacks, it is worth protecting yourself with a firewall to filter incoming traffic and block suspicious requests. The next step is to monitor the files uploaded to the server with a reliable anti-virus software that will quarantine the unwanted files in time. Another threat comes with attacks where intruders use different combinations of passwords to enter. Unfortunately, these attacks are often successful, so using solutions like CSF (for Linux) or BFGuard (for Windows) can help you fight these attacks by blocking IP addresses after a certain amount of failed login attempts.
Another popular attack is DDoS which aims to overload a request server in order to drop it. Unfortunately, there is no 100% way to protect against them, as traffic is generated by multiple networks at once, but reducing the rate of incoming requests and using protection solutions (such as Imperva or CloudFlare) can help you mitigate them faster.
Applying these tips will help you ensure a better level of protection for your server, however, it is not a panacea and a one-time solution. Maintaining a server requires constant attention, timely software updates, and regular security checks.
Certainly, some technical skills are required to apply these tips and you may need to hire a system administrator to get everything right. But these investments are justified, as they give you the peace of mind to manage your server smoothly.