Essential Security Practices for Your VDS

Security should be your top priority when managing a VDS. This guide covers essential security practices to protect your server.

Initial Security Setup

1. Update Your System

Always start with a fully updated system:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

2. Create a Non-Root User

Never run services as root:

adduser newuser
usermod -aG sudo newuser

3. Configure SSH Key Authentication

Disable password authentication and use SSH keys:

# On your local machine
ssh-keygen -t ed25519

# Copy to server
ssh-copy-id user@your-server-ip

4. Harden SSH Configuration

Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config:

PermitRootLogin no
PasswordAuthentication no
Port 2222

Firewall Configuration

UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall)

# Install UFW
apt install ufw -y

# Allow SSH (use your custom port)
ufw allow 2222/tcp

# Allow HTTP/HTTPS
ufw allow 80/tcp
ufw allow 443/tcp

# Enable firewall
ufw enable

Essential Security Tools

Fail2Ban

Protect against brute-force attacks:

apt install fail2ban -y
systemctl enable fail2ban
systemctl start fail2ban

Automated Updates

Keep your system secure automatically:

apt install unattended-upgrades -y
dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades

Application Security

SSL/TLS Certificates

Always use HTTPS:

# Install Certbot
apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y

# Get certificate
certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

Secure Your Database

• Use strong passwords
• Disable remote root access
• Regular backups
• Keep software updated

Monitoring and Logging

Log Monitoring

# Install logwatch
apt install logwatch -y

# Configure email notifications

Resource Monitoring

Monitor your server resources:

• CPU usage
• Memory consumption
• Disk space
• Network traffic

Regular Maintenance

1. Weekly: Review logs and security alerts
2. Monthly: Update all software packages
3. Quarterly: Audit user accounts and permissions
4. Yearly: Review and update security policies

Security Checklist

• System updates configured
• SSH key authentication enabled
• Root login disabled
• Firewall configured
• Fail2Ban installed
• SSL certificates installed
• Automated backups configured
• Monitoring tools set up

Conclusion

Security is an ongoing process, not a one-time setup. Regularly review and update your security practices to protect against evolving threats.

Need help securing your VDS? Our support team is available 24/7 to assist you.