First Steps in Server Security
Tutorials – Server Security
Fear not the barbarians of cyberspace, and follow our guide to shoring up your digital defenses.
So, you just got your first server. Maybe it's a VPS you're renting, or maybe it's running off your home Internet connection. The main point is that it's connected directly to a public IP address, so you can access it from anywhere. That means you can share things with other people or access your data on the go, but it also means that you've entered the domain of hackers, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attackers, and other nefarious folk who roam the Internet looking for weak links in security. You need to batten down the virtual hatches and bar the digital door: You're now responsible for securing your own domain. Let's look at the first things you need to do to ensure you stay safe (see "Picking a Distro" for more information).
If you're renting your server, then the chances are that you're first interaction with it is via Secure Shell (SSH). This protocol allows you to create an encrypted shell session to your server and generally use it as though it were a local server. The power that comes with SSH is the reason it's the most common target for attackers. If you have a server on a public IP address, people will attempt to log in via SSH, and usually this starts happening almost instantly.
When it comes to server security, SSH is the place to start. The first rule is never, not even temporarily, use a default password to log in with. We're looking particularly at people using Raspberry Pis, but it goes with anything. If you have to login via password, it should be a randomly generated long string of characters, but we won't delve too far into password rules, because we'll move swiftly on to the second rule of SSH: Disable password login as soon as possible.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
LibreOffice Tested as Possible Office 365 Alternative
Another major organization has decided to test the possibility of migrating from Microsoft's Office 365 to LibreOffice.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.