As a matter of fact, a secure server is generally a web server that guarantees secure online transactions to the users. These are the secure servers that are used by online retailers and organizations for a web presence. Everyone looks out for this server vulnerability. It is always your responsibility to ensure that the data is safe and secure.
Use and establish a secure connection
Whenever you are connecting to a remote server, it is crucial for you to establish a secure channel for the purpose of communication. Using the secure shell protocol is one of the best ways to initiate a protected connection for your server. All you need to do is install the SSH Daemon to make a way for an SSH client. All this must be done so that you can issue commands and manage the servers using the SSH protocol to gain remote access. By default, everyone knows about this protocol.
Use SSH authentication keys
Instead of the password, you can use a pair of SSH keys which is a better alternative to all the traditional login. These keys carry many more bets than a password and cannot be easily cracked by most modern computers. It means they are safe and popular. The keypair usually consists of a private and public key. The public key has many copies, one of which remains with the server while the others are shared with the other users. Anyone who has the public key has the power to encrypt data that only the user with the corresponding private key can use to read the data. The private key is a key that is not shared with anyone and is kept secure. While you are establishing a connection, the server will ask you for the evidence before allowing you the privileged access.
Secure file transfer protocol
If you want to transfer the files from and to a server without the danger of hackers stealing the data then it’s important for you to use file transfer protocol secure. It is a process that encrypts data files and all the authentic information. It uses a data channel and command channel and the user can interrupt both. It protects all the files during transfer. As soon as the files reach the server, there won’t be any encrypted data. This is why encrypting the files before you send them adds another level of security to your data.
Secure socket layers certificate
You must secure the web administration areas and forms with a secure socket layer. It guards information that is passed between two systems through the internet. It can be used as a server-client and server to server communication. This program scrambles data so that all information remains safe and is not stolen during transit. The websites that have the SSL certificate have HTTP as in URL. This indicates the safety and security of the server.
Use VPN and private networks
This is yet another way to enjoy safe communication. There are virtual private networks like open VPN that secure communication between the networks. And like all the other open networks that are responsible to the outside world and susceptible to attacks from malicious users, virtual private networks restrict and access to the selected users. Whenever you want to connect with the remote server or via a private network, you can use a VPN full start. It enables everything that is secure and can encompass multiple services.
Monitor the login attempts
If you really want to protect your server against all the brutal attacks, then using an intrusion prevention software to monitor all the login attempts is the best way. These are the automated attacks that use trial and error method for attempting each possible combination of letters and numbers to gain access to the system. The intrusion prevention software will oversee all the log file and detect if there’s any suspicious login attempt. If in any case, the number of atoms exceeds the set norm, the intrusion software will block the IP address for a specific period of time.
Keep a check on the users
As matter of fact, every server has a root user for executing commands. This is because of the power it has, which can be added to the server if it falls in the wrong hands. For this, you must disable root login in SSH all together. If you disable the user entirely, you will put the attackers in a significant limitation and save your server from all the potential threats. To ensure that the outsiders do not misuse any of the root privileges, you can also create a limited user account. This account does not have the symbol authorities as the root but is still able to perform administrative tasks using the pseudo command.
Upgrade the software regularly
This is one of the best practices to secure a server. If you regularly update the software, it will keep it safe from hackers. This is because the outdated software has already been explored for its strengths and weaknesses which leaves it open for the hackers to take advantage of the software and harm the system. If you keep everything up to date in your server, it will be observed that the server will protect itself with the first line of defense. Automatic updates are the best ways to guarantee that no updates are forgotten. Make sure that you update the server control panel on a daily basis.
Remove all the unnecessary services
You can easily increase the server security by the reduction in the so-called attack vector. This is a cybersecurity term that refers to the installation and maintenance of the bare minimum requirements that are needed to keep the services running smoothly. All you need to do is just enable the network ports used by the operating system and other installed components. The less you have them on the system, the better it is.
Hide all the server information
When it comes to your server, try to provide minimum information about the underlying infrastructure. The less it’s known about the server, the better it is. It is always a good idea to hide version numbers of the software that you have installed on your server. It is very simple to remove this information by deleting it from the HTTP header of the greeting banner.
File and service auditing
Not to mention, file and service auditing is a great way to discover the unwanted changes in your system. It will make it easier for you to track their origin. On the other hand, service auditing explores how two services are running on the server, which ports they are communicating through and their information about protocols. Always be aware of all the specifications that helps in configuration attack services in your system.
Back up your server
Apart from all the above steps, it is always essential to protect your server data by backing up the system in case anything goes wrong. Whether you do them manually or have automated jobs, make sure that you take this precautionary measure. Comprehensive backup testing is really essential. It will include all the sanity checks that will help the end-users verify the data recovery.
Conclusion
After reading this piece and security recommendations, you might feel confident about your server security. The top menu of the security measures must be implement during the initial setup of the server, while the others can be a part of the continuous process or periodic maintenance. If in any case, your server monitoring is not automated, then make sure to design the one that has all the security checks.
Wishing you a lifetime of server security!
