So you just got yourself a new SEO Hosting VPS but now the question is, “How do I make it more secure?”. When running a VPS you need to protect your server against various security attacks which may harm or even destroy your data.
Here are a few basic VPS security tips:
1. Keep Your Software Up-To-Date – This is one of the most important tasks of securing your server. Everyday, numerous vulnerabilities are found in various applications, services and scripts so installing the latest updates on your server is crucial and strongly recommended.
2. Disable Remote Root Logins – Your service provider will most likely give you a root account to start but you do not need to login as root every time you access your server. You should, instead, create a separate user account that can escalate to root when necessary. Disable root logins in your SSH settings to add security.
3. Enforce and Use Strong Secure Passwords – Passwords are the first line of defense for your server but they are often the weakest links in server security. You should require any users to use secure passwords and change them regularly as well as create strong passwords.
4. Use a Secure File Transfer Method – If you think FTP is secure then you would be wrong, FTP is not secure. If you have sensitive data or even if you just want to protect your password, you should use your encrypted SSH login. SFTP is one method you can use.
5. Use Correct File and Directory Permissions – There are 3 types of access permissions: read, write and execute and they are available for three different categories of users: owner, group and others. With these permissions you can determine who can access or modify the files. You should ensure that all files and directories have the correct permissions since this is important for server security
6. Backup Everything – If there is any chance that you will need something, you should have a backup for it. Routine, off-site, automated backups will ensure that if something ever goes wrong with your VPS, you can easily recover.
7. Remove Inactive Accounts – If certain user accounts are no longer being used or have not been used for a long time then they are potential security risks for your server. Since no one is using them they can be compromised and possibly used to harm your server or other servers on the network.
