VPS hosting has become a popular choice among website owners because it provides better performance and a different level of control. On the other hand, it’s still possible to encounter cyber threats in the future. For instance, you can get malware software, SQL injections, or brute-force attacks. That’s why it’s important to make security a priority from the first day and protect your data. Here are 5 easy steps to get started!
1. Disable root logins
While root access is a huge advantage, it is not always necessary. If you want a secure VPS, you should just create another username and use ‘’sudo’’ to execute root-level commands. Disabling logins from the main account will stop hackers from simply guessing your credentials. If you consider yourself ready, go ahead and open /etc/ssh/sshd_config. Here you can find the default root parameter and change ‘’yes’’ with ‘’no’’.
2. Configure a firewall
Nobody wants traffic from malicious sources and that’s why a firewall matters. Most VPS packages and Linux-based OS need DDoS protection, so you might set-up software with some rules to avoid problems in the future. In addition, you should install an antivirus to detect and remove damaged files.
3. Monitor your server logs
Managing a VPS server will be a real challenge sometimes because there are many things that can happen. Monitoring your logs keeps you informed about any errors or issues. To not make mistakes, set up email notifications for any warning and you’ll have access to the situation in real-time. Check regularly elements such as resources and traffic, user activities or events.
4. Change the default SSH port
SSH is a method for a remote computer to log into the VPS server. Even though it shouldn’t create problems when it comes to employees or partners, some users try to access your resources using a variety of common passwords. It’s unlikely to happen just when you change the default SSH 22 port because they won’t find the new one. Be sure you don’t use the same number for any service, because you will create a crash.
5. Keep server software updated
Developers offer frequent updates for modules and packages because each of them will have vulnerabilities at some point. For the same reason, your operating system should be configured to make them automatically. CentOS will use the rpm manager, while an OS like Ubuntu needs apt-get. The other distributions will have a similar setup. Make sure you also get auto-updates for your panel, if you decide to have one.
Why should you secure your VPS?
When you want to move to a VPS plan, a lot of risks can be avoided by simply implementing the proper security measures. The hosting provider plays an important role in additional protection, so you should know you can trust the company. At BlueVPS we provide VPS hosting in Hong Kong that has advanced security services to make your life easier.
