Dedicated Servers offers a pre-eminent hosting environment for business organizations. There is no doubt that the features and capabilities offered by dedicated servers are superior and unmatched. In addition, dedicated hosting offers immense power of the entire server to your website to ensure 100% uptime and high security.
Many users have the impression that because of powerful hosting, the website is invulnerable to cyber-attacks and hackers. Well, that’s not the entire truth. To avoid an expensive failure and take-down, you will have to protect the website by deploying an ironclad security course of action.
Let’s go through essential tips that are effective in securing any server like Linux dedicated server or windows dedicated server.
Regular Installation of Updates:
It might seem like a basic step but is usually overlooked by the team. Forgotten updates can make servers open to vulnerabilities and cyber-attack It can act as a loophole for hackers or cybercriminals. Outdated software is considered a major exploited area within website vulnerabilities. Therefore, it is important to keep track of updates to enhance the overall security of the dedicated server.
So the tip is never to delay any sort of update. As soon as you notice an update, install it without saving it for later. If you leave updates later, you let the window open for the hackers to enter the network. Moreover, if being up-to-date is quite difficult for you, hire managed services.
Don’t Install Unnecessary Software:
It is a crucial piggyback in the list of checkpoints for security. One must consider installing software that is absolute for operating the server to access expected performance. Installing numerous software and leaving them unused for a long duration can be an invitation to vulnerabilities.
Always be exceptionally active, especially while running a WordPress website, that too with numerous Plugins. Such a combination can be a perfect hit for cybercriminals. Also, checking on plugin-related updates is a crucial part of securing a website to a higher extent. Finally, consider installing the required software and plugins from reliable and trustworthy sources.
Backup Your Data Periodically:
Attacks are unpredictable. Even if you take hundreds of measures, there can be a security breach. It would be best if you were prepared for unforeseen conditions. What if you accidentally delete the data and cause huge data loss of the organization. Anything gone wrong can result in data loss.
Even if you have implemented brilliant and foremost security measures, you still need to create a backup of the entire website and associated data and files. Store the entire backup on the cloud to ensure easy recovery in case of data loss. Also, multiple backups at different locations will add in extra security. Cloud backups allow swift and minimal time restoration of lost data to ensure that the website remains accessible for the end-users.
Always consider backup as the utmost priority while preparing a checklist to make your dedicated server highly secure.
Maintain Secure Databases:
Another vulnerable loophole for cybercriminals is a database. The most crucial yet highly sensitive area for a cyber attack. All crucial business data is stored within the database; thus, it becomes the utmost priority to manage it efficiently. Consider best practices making it SQL injection resistant, authentication, keeping user privilege at minimum, deletion of outdated and unnecessary data, and restricting the interaction between the end-user and database. In addition, you can deploy advanced database administrative tools to increase the overall security of the database from hackers and data breaches.
Initiate an Emergency Protocol:
Implementing an emergency protocol can act as a pre-emptive and best measure for a security breach, crucial data loss. If someone succeeds in breaching the network, you have to make sure that the breach is addressed expediently.
You can establish emergency protocols in advance to ensure rapid recovery from unforeseen circumstances. Below-depicted are some tips to prepare emergency protocol:
· Set a sole contact point within the data center of the company and make the contact details available for emergency conditions.
· Generate scenarios as per the impact on customers post-security breach and record overall effects and time to resume the services.
· For the circumstances based on user data loss, prepare a well-effective plan to reset the credentials, I.e., usernames and passwords.
· Designating an efficient system admin lead and an assistant leader will be the foremost step to deal with breaches.
· The contact person should be available 24/7 as a technical support provider, especially if needed.
Wrapping Up:
Similar to other hosting services, linux or windows dedicated servers requisite multiple security layers for protecting the server, blogs, website, client’s data from cyber attacks and hackers. Making the Dedicated Server’s security more ironclad must be your utmost priority. The performance of a website thoroughly depends upon the amount of security the website is having. Following up on the mentioned tips will help you access enhanced server performance and 100% uptime to offer maximum customer satisfaction.