A server needs to be secure, performant and adequately available to fulfill its intended function in a business environment. Small disruptions can ripple out to cause costly chaos.
That’s where server hardening becomes an asset, so let’s look at what it is, what it involves and how it has an impact on aspects like availability and uptime.
Server hardening is a series of steps taken to enhance server security. This process strengthens your system against attacks by eliminating potential vulnerabilities.
As a first step, it’s wise to analyze your server’s current setup, taking note of any unnecessary features and services. Every unnecessary application or service running on your server presents a potential entry point for hackers, so less is often more in this case.
Following this initial assessment, concentrate on ensuring software and operating systems are up-to-date with all necessary patches applied promptly. These updates frequently contain crucial security enhancements.
Once these foundational elements are out of the way, you’ll need to move onto some more in-depth aspects of server hardening, so let’s look at these in more detail.
Implementing a few key strategies can dramatically boost your server security. Here are some cornerstone examples to follow:
Even with these measures, no server is impervious to all attacks. The goal here is not total invulnerability,-but rather making unauthorized access as difficult as possible. In turn, this discourages less dedicated attackers and limits potential damage from more experienced ones.
Server availability is another equally important factor to consider when hardening servers. To increase server uptime and service accessibility, use the following strategies:
These techniques help ensure continuous functioning of your services even in unexpected situations. Even a few seconds of downtime can have enormous negative impacts depending on the nature of your operations, so it’s always best to be as prepared as possible.
Ensuring a high-level of uptime is critical for any business or service. Maintain seamless execution using the following measures:
Incorporating these practices into your server management routine will help avoid unexpected downtime. It’s important to note, however, that each individual strategy feeds into the others, and you cannot totally divorce one from another. A solid approach to improving uptime necessitates integrating all these actions within an overarching framework.
Despite best intentions, mistakes can happen during the server hardening process. Here are a few common pitfalls to avoid:
Avoid these pitfalls by exercising thoroughness in each aspect of server management, from routine checks on system updates to maintaining robust password policies. The stronger your defensive lines are, the less likely you’ll have to deal with a worst-case scenario down the line.
Once you have the basics of server hardening and regular maintenance under control, here are some advanced habits to consider:
Putting these practices into place will push your server security even further, solidifying its defenses from potential attacks.
In short, if you’re responsible for a server, you have to harden it against the bevy of threats that exist today. This is the only sustainable way to protect your business’ IT assets.
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