In an increasingly dangerous web environment, server-level security is an imperative. Your server and IT infrastructure are vulnerable to numerous web threats, and therefore comprehensive security is a must. Neglecting safety can have detrimental consequences. It’s a costly risk that can damage your brand and your stakeholders. As most business transactions are now conducted electronically, prioritizing server security ensures that your data and your customers’ information is protected.
To keep your servers in tip-top condition, here are some recommendations from transcosmos Information Systems on how you can effectively address the security needs of your server infrastructure:
1. Control login information
Create unique passwords composed of at least 8 characters. The general rule is to combine uppercase and lowercase letters, and at least one number and one special character in the password.
A strong password ensures that login credentials on your server are effectively controlled and managed.
2. Change passwords regularly
To prevent hackers from guessing or stealing your password, it’s essential to update it frequently. It is recommended to change your password every quarter to limit its usefulness to hackers.
3. Implement two-factor authentication
when possible Although a
bit complicated, two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security. Most internet-based services like Google, Facebook, and Twitter use two-step verification to protect their users from hackers.
Two-factor authentication requires another form of verification in addition to passwords. For example, you can connect your mobile phone number to the server and it will send you a unique code that you can use to log in over the password you’re using.
4. Store credentials securely
Protecting passwords and user information is one of the most important aspects of server security. To prevent data breaches, one of the best ways to securely protect credentials is to employ password hashes.
Essentially, hashing a password means transforming it into a unique value before storing it in your database. The algorithm is unidirectional, which means that it is impossible to convert the hashed password to its original form. Additional security measures can be taken to provide additional security to hashing.
5. Delete users and groups
that are no longer in use
To prevent unauthorized access to your server, be sure to regularly check your server and immediately delete or delete inactive users and unused groups
.
6. Always
scan for viruses
Regularly scan your servers for viruses to immediately detect malicious files that may threaten your security. Be sure to update your antivirus software as well to make sure it’s equipped with the right tools and information to combat new threats and viruses.
7. Update
software and operating systems
Just like antivirus software, be sure to update your infrastructure packages and operating systems. An upgraded system improves not only your security, but also the speed, reliability, and efficiency of your system.
Regular updates fix bugs in your software and ensure there are no holes in your system’s security.
8. Have a robust firewall system A firewall
is crucial to your server infrastructure. It provides additional protection on top of your system’s built-in security features. Through a firewall, you can control the pieces of software or services you need to expose to the network.
This significantly reduces your vulnerability to attacks, as exposing just a few components of your software means there is less material for hackers to exploit.
9. Use SSH key authentication Using
SSH key authentication
is a good alternative to password-based logins. SSH keys are cryptographic keys that contain more bits of data than a typical password, which is harder to crack and less vulnerable to attack.
In addition, SSH
key authentication is more convenient, as users no longer need to remember their passwords when using SSH keys through a program called an SSH agent.
10. Use VPNs and Private Networks When Available
Using a virtual private network (VPN) keeps your browsing safe and internal communication private. Through a VPN, you can ensure secure connections between your servers and remote resources. VPN is also protected by encryption, which means attackers can’t easily understand your traffic.
11. Encrypt data when needed
Encryption is crucial to achieving data security. Simply put, encryption is the process of translating sensitive electronic data into an intelligible code. This way, only those with authorized access can access and decrypt the code. Data encryption is used to protect valuable customer data, credit card numbers, company files, and many others.
12
. Install trusted software
Install software or any package from credible and trusted sources to avoid security risks to your infrastructure. You may be tempted to use software from unknown sources as they are a cheaper option, but some of these contain malware that can compromise the security of your system.
13. Regularly check for
vulnerabilities
Regular network vulnerability scanning is recommended to help identify weaknesses in your server. This allows you to immediately address security issues before hackers compromise your system.
14. Data Backup
Back up your data
regularly so that you can easily recover lost or damaged data from a system attack or failure. To keep everything safe, encrypt backed up data containing sensitive information and protect it with a password if possible.
15. Hire a professional
As most
transactions are now done through a computer, businesses need to prioritize server security. This involves hiring an IT professional who can ensure the security of your servers and infrastructure.
If an in-house professional is out of the question, there are numerous outsourcing services that can be used. Outsourcing IT professionals is one way to ensure that the services your business provides run efficiently and that your servers are protected and protected from different threats on the web.
There are numerous threats lurking on the web, and each one is a potential detriment to your company and brand. Efficient and comprehensive server-level security is an investment that will help you avoid the costly consequences of data breach and other similar attacks on your server infrastructure.
In a dangerous web environment, it surely pays to be more attentive and prepared.
James Patterson, Head of Business Development, Global Corporate Clients joined transcosmos in 2007. He oversees business development and sales and marketing initiatives in the EMEA and APAC regions for transcosmos IT and Customer Support Services, managing a team of sales professionals and consultants in these territories. James fully understands and supports the requirements and challenges of complex IT support and customer service environments, having guided a variety of large organizations through the consultative process of developing complex solutions to meet customer needs. Prior to transcosmos, James was a regional sales manager in the health and leisure industry, winning many awards for exceeding sales targets and being innovative.