Simple Tips And Tricks To Increase The Security Of Hosting Servers

Website security breaches happening to so many big and small-sized corporations have once again confirmed the importance of web security of hosting servers.

Since the web hosting server contains all your website files and information, including sensitive ones, it’s essential to maintain the security of your web server against all kinds of threats and issues.

Hackers with ill intent never stop finding ways to gain access to a company’s sensitive data. So, this is the major reason why maintaining security protocols to keep the web safe is an important element of server management and for server administrators.

Tips to Improve the Security of Web Hosting Servers

Although no single list of web security tips can be considered complete, the following list is as close as we could get to aid you in securing your web servers:

1. Set Up a Public Key Authentication for SSH

Password authentication is a common method that most Secure Shell (SSH) clients use to authenticate with remote servers. However, it can be sacked through potential security vulnerabilities, such as brute-force login attempts.

The best alternative to password authentication is public key authentication, in which you generate and store a pair of cryptographic keys on your computer and configure the server to accept the keys. Using key-based authentication has its own set of advantages, including:

Key-based login is not a usual target for brute-force hacking attacks.
If a hacker gets access to the server that uses SSH keys, no authentication credentials are at greater risk of being exposed.
Since a password is not required at login, you can easily log in to servers from automation tools.

How SSH Key Works?

SSH keys are generated in pairs and saved in plain-text files. The key pair includes two parts:

A private key is commonly named id_rsa. The private key is stored on your local computer and requires set permissions so that no other users on your computer can read the file.
A public key is commonly named id_rsa.pub and is kept on the server. You can share your public key with others.

When any website or service asks for the SSH key, they are referring to the public key.

2. Set a Strong Password

It is not an easy task for hackers to even come closer to invading the security of well-built servers. So, those who lack knowledge of web hosting security, end up choosing easy-to-crack passwords leaving high chances for hackers to exploit opportunities.

Thus, when you are creating a new password, there are plenty of useful tools that measure its strength of the same. As a general practice to have a strong password, create one with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.

Also, do not forget to change your password once in a while. It would be harder for criminals to figure out the password if you keep changing it regularly.

3. Install and Configure the CSF Firewall

CSF (Config Server Firewall) is a free and advanced firewall for most Linux distributions and Linux-based VPSs. Besides the basic functionality of a firewall, CSF consists of other security features too, including login/intrusion/flood detections.

Steps to install the CSF firewall

Step 1 – Downloading: Config Server Firewall needs to be downloaded from the ConfigServer’s website.
Step 2 — Uncompressing: The downloaded file comes in the form of a tar package. It has to be uncompressed and extracted prior to being used.
If you are using some other firewall configuration script, like UFW, then you must disable it prior to moving ahead. You can disable UFW by running the command ufw disable. Next, execute the CSF’s installer script.

The firewall is now installed. However, do check whether the iptables modules are available or not.

Steps to configure the CSF firewall

Step 1 – Configuring Ports: Your server will be more secure if less access is given to VPS. But, not all ports can be closed since clients must be able to use your services.
Step 2—Additional Settings: CSF offers a different range of options in its configuration files. The default values are great and can be easily used on almost any server. The default settings are configured to stop flood attacks, port scans, and unauthorized access attempts.
Step 3-Applying the Changes: When you are modifying the settings in the csf.conf file, you must save the files and restart CSF for the changes to take effect.

4. Install and Configure Fail2Ban

Fail2Ban was developed to preserve open ports and running services on the server. It analyzes and keeps a check on failed authorization attempts. This reduces the portability of hacking a server owing to automatic means.

Installation: Use the command apt install fail2ban to install Fail2Ban. To check the service status, use this command: systemctl status fail2ban.
Fail2Ban Configuration: Create a copy of the jail.conf file in order to change the default ban settings. Start the jail. local file and after you change the file, start the service again.

5. Install Anti-Malware Software

The most common question yet often asked is “how to secure a website”. Anti-malware software is amongst the best tools to keep sensitive data protected and safe. It addresses to spam, spyware, and other security threats. It usually contains advanced malware protection and sandboxing technology. Anti-malware software performs its job using different practices, including:

The behavior monitoring technique used by an anti-malware program works wonders for monitoring suspicious files that can be harmful to the system. The software does not compare the file to any known threats anymore. If the file shows any suspicious behavior, antimalware will mark it as a threat.
Sandboxing is another great technique to prevent malware infection. The software quickly removes malicious programs from legitimate apps to prevent further damage.
Once the malware is identified, the anti-malware software removes it to prevent it from infecting the computer system. If a similar file reaches the computer, it will be eliminated automatically, and the software will prevent it from installing again. Thus, be rest assured that with anti-malware software, you will never have to ask the question, ” is this site safe?”

ClamAV is a great malware scanning program for Linux, whereas rkhunter is helpful for finding rootkits.

6. Keep Software Updated

If you are using software that has been developed by a third party, the most effective way to ensure that the code is secure would be to apply the latest updates. A simple web app will make use of several components that can result in successful attacks if left unpatched.

Definitely, it’s easy to skip the software updates as they may not seem as important. However, it’s a mistake that keeps the door open for hackers to access private data, which might result in the loss of money, credit, and so much more. Thus, to check and maintain websites’ safety, remember to keep your software updated. Regardless of whether it is a basic website or a database, keeping them safe through software updates is crucial.

Due to the recent Equifax data breach, 143 million Americans were greatly impacted as their social security numbers, birth dates, and home addresses were stolen. The hackers were able to get access to the data of the credit reporting agency through a known vulnerability in its web app.

Though the fix for this security hole was available 2 months prior to the breach, the company failed to update the software and so had to face the music later.

This is a good lesson to learn the importance of updating software. In fact, apart from fixing security issues, software updates also include new features and better compatibility with different devices and applications.

6. Backup Data Regularly

It is not possible to be assured of the fact that the server will never be compromised, so the data should be encrypted and stored off-site. Even with the best caution, unexpected circumstances can happen, including server crashes, which is not something you want to deal with. Do you?

Back up your data on a regular basis to ensure that your website is back up and running quickly after a server crash. It is imperative that your web server is protected from malicious attacks, as that is how users feel safe and secure while doing transactions on your website.

Backup is the safest and most reliable way to restore your lost files after a data loss. Regular backups can get data back up to 100% without putting in much effort and time. But, the files that are created and added to the system between the backup cycles won’t be restored. Some third-party software is what you need for this.

Certainly, with regular backups, you can be sure of running a business smoothly and the security of data at the time of a data loss.

7. Monitor Logs

Logs are a useful security tool. A log is a list of events that happen on a system. Your system can be a basic website, user events, errors, or access to your server. Logs can help you raise alerts for challenges ahead, prevent vulnerabilities, improve services, and much more.

Step-By-Step Process of Log Monitoring

List out all the logs.
Navigate to your logs directory.
Check out your log format.
Create a list of answers to parsing questions.
Activate log monitoring.
Do check access to log file storage location.
Create an upload method.
Create your parsing.
Monitor log processing.
Start the log monitoring.

8. Disable Unnecessary Services

Software or program(s) that are idle and not contributing to the server’s operation must be turned off. The more services that run on your system, the more opportunities for attackers to exploit them or gain control of the system through them.

Turning off unnecessary services also applies to the web hosting server engine and removes modules that are no longer in use, etc. The less information you share about your underlying structure, the smaller the footprint available to strike you with.

9. Install and Configure ModSecurity

ModSecurity is one of the most popular Apache security modules. It is an open-source WAF (Web Application Firewall) developed for the Apache web server. The ModSecurity module enables users to write rules for protecting websites from third-party attacks, such as SQLI and DDoS. It also provides a flexible rule engine.

Steps to Install ModSecurity

Login as a root user.
Make sure that the system package sources are updated.
Install the ModSecurity module.

A configuration file has to be made in order to start using ModSecurity. When everything is in place, load the Apache with the default ModSecurity config file to allow the changes to take effect.

Steps to Configure ModSecurity

The default config file has a few fewer protective rules configured, but it’s good to begin with.
The Ubuntu package comprises CRS rulesets that can be used as sources of rules for the Web Application Firewall.
Configure ModSecurity to read rule files from the activated_rules directory.
This allows ModSecurity to use files ending in.conf as configuration files.
Now, connect the preferred rulesets to the most recent locations.
Link to specific rulesets depending upon your requirements. The CRS is also divided into custom and experimental rulesets to alleviate emerging threats.
Upon adjusting the ModSecurity configuration, Apache should be reloaded for the rules to take effect.

10. Code Reviews

Many attacks against web applications happen due to insecure code and not the platform itself. SQL injection attacks are among the most common types of attacks, though this vulnerability has been around for so many years now.

This vulnerability does not arise with improper input handling by the database system; it is more or less related to the aspect that input sanitization is not executed by the developer.

Also, there are so many ways in which code reviews make cybersecurity an asset for your organization:

With the help of professional analysis, you can easily discover critical vulnerabilities before an attacker does. This is how you take control of the defenses of your enterprise.
When experts in this field review your application source code, they help you get a better understanding of their approach from a security point of view.
When code security becomes an integral part of your Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), you save a lot of money and effort.
Flawed encryption in authentication implementations may result in data breaches. So, analyzing your code’s security and enhancing it is a super effective way to counter the risk.

Irrespective of the type of application you are using, securing your code is the most crucial step, or else the foundation of the app will be faulty, which can lead to undesired security issues in the future.

Conclusion

We hope these tips will help you take the important steps to protect your company’s sensitive data and information. Practice these security tips to keep your web server well protected against malicious attacks and unauthorized user access.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How could you increase security on a server?

Ans: Some of the important things to do are: regular backups, keeping a strong password, installing malware, using public key authentication

2. What makes a hosting server secure?

Ans: Two-factor authentication, SSL certificate, and SiteLock security are some of the factors that make a hosting server secure.

3. How do you secure a host?

Ans: follow below guidelines to secure a host:

Firewall installation and configuration
DDoS attack protection
FTP should be replaced with SFTP
Server backups
Maintenance IPs should be whitelisted
The use of antivirus and antimalware programs
Unused applications that are not used for hosting should be removed

3. How secure is shared hosting?

It is secured to the most extent as well as affordable.

4. What is the most secure Web server?

Dreamhost and Hostinger are some of the most secured web servers.

5. What are some best practices when deploying a website for a client?

For a smooth website deployment, follow these basic steps:

The first step is to prepare. …
Setting up DNS records is the second step. …
Creating a live testing site is the third step. …
Creating an email account is the fourth step. …
Taking a backup and going live is the fifth step.

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Tips to Improve the Security of Web Hosting Servers