Best Practices for Securing Your Dedicated Server

If you're seeking unparalleled control, performance, and flexibility for your critical application or website, the only way to go is to buy Windows dedicated servers. Along with its popularity comes the obligation to keep a secure environment. Cyber threats, data leakage, and all other security challenges cause a flaw in your server's operations and tarnish your company's image.

To avoid risks like these, it is necessary to develop an all-encompassing security policy for your budget-dedicated servers. This blog tells you about the best practices that you should implement so that your server is not compromised and its operation remains smooth.

Top practices to Secure Your Dedicated Server

Always Update and Patch Software

An outdated software or application on your server proves to be a significant drawback for dedicated servers. Outdated operating systems, server applications, and more possess weaknesses, and hackers take advantage of these. It is safe to say that keeping your server updated fortifies it. Always ensure your operating system, control panels, and all installed software are also running the latest available version.

Strengthen Authentication.

Stronger authentication mechanisms are an effective means of defending your server. Always go for complex passwords that are unique and that contain a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and also special characters. Avoid the use of words from the dictionary or those that follow a predictable pattern.

Similarly, to secure your server further, consider engaging in multi-factor authentication that offers an additional layer of security. This makes it more difficult to gain unauthorized access.

Configure a Robust Firewall.

A reliable dedicated server provider like MilesWeb always provides a firewall installed, which assists in filtering traffic to and fro from the server. A firewall further blocks access from unauthorized sources. A decent firewall is one of the ways to go about mitigating some of the most rudimentary cyber attacks.

For advanced users, iptables (Linux) or even Windows users can opt to use the Windows Defender Firewall as a tool to manage the traffic more decisively. Alongside the NGINX setup, you can also utilize a web application firewall to defend against web-specific threats like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and so on.

Protect Remote Access

As remote access is indispensable for administering dedicated servers, it has to be configured properly. The Secure Shell (SSH) protocol is the best-known protocol for administering remote servers. Start by preventing root access over SSH to limit the capability for brute force attacks. Instead, set up a new user account with admin-level rights. Changing the SSH default port from 22 to a random port helps reduce the chances of suffering from automated attacks.

Conduct Server Activity Monitoring

Your server activity monitoring can tell you whether something is not right or if a security feature might be under threat. Server logs contain a lot of useful information, such as logins, alterations of files, and system errors that occurred.

Take advantage of several log monitoring tools to set up alerts for specific activity, such as multiple failed logins or attempts to access or modify sensitive files.

Malicious Software Security

Malicious software infections and unwarranted breaches can be devastating to your storage devices and privacy. As a defense against such scenarios, white hat hackers install reputable anti-malware applications and intrusion detection systems (IDS).

Backup Measures

Nobody’s perfect, so it comes as no surprise that even a top-tier server would lose data owing to hardware failure, human blunders, and cybercrime. Thus you must get a trustworthy, dedicated hosting provider like MilesWeb that offers on-demand backup solutions. This way you always have a safety net to restore your data, all while retaining the maximum possible uptime of the server.

Limit User Access and Privileges

The principle of least privilege (PoLP) ensures that users and applications only have access to the resources they need. This minimizes the chance of a user doing something either intentionally or inadvertently that may somehow damage the server.

Create individual accounts for everyone who has access to the server, such as users and applications. Respective permissions implemented for every such account help with reducing data loss and more.

Always Encrypt Communication and Data

When securing your server and its users, ensure that all exchanges of data are protected through encryption. Make sure you utilize SSL/TLS certificates for your website in order to enable HTTPS because HTTPS prevents eavesdropping on the data exchanged between your server and the users. From industry-leading provider MilesWeb, you get a free SSL certificate for your websites with their dedicated server plans. They also offer a dedicated IP address to secure your communication.

Regular Security Audits

Security audits are crucial in determining breaches in a system and adherence to IPS procedures. These reviews should be carried out after defined intervals to ascertain the current security status of the server.

Utilize vulnerability scanners to identify weak points on your server. Carry out penetration testing, which entails launching attacks on your server and providing a real-world simulated attack. This ensures that with frequent audits, vulnerabilities can be fixed before exploited.

Bottom Line

The first thing that one needs to understand is that securing your dedicated server is an ongoing process. From the latest software updates and strong passwords to firewalls and encryption, all these measures should be undertaken to ensure your server is safeguarded.

A dedicated server from MilesWeb not only offers high affordability but also meets security requirements, ensuring that the applications and the data stored on their server are protected.

Moreover, they lead in the dedicated server’s list as it delivers high performance and meets reliability. Adhering to these best practices creates a dedicated hosting environment whereby security is the priority, and gaining the user's trust and ensuring the success of the business is the goal.