There are many reasons you may select a dedicated server hosting plan
for your business, but a common factor is control. Unlike shared
hosting, a dedicated server is yours to configure and maintain in a way
that fits your business. But although a dedicated server comes with full
remote desktop and console access, this level of control brings with it
a lot of responsibility.
If there are multiple accounts on a hardware server, such as in a
shared hosting or virtual private server (VPS hosting) plan, your
hosting provider should ensure the ongoing performance and security of
your server. In the case of dedicated server hosting, it is your
obligation to protect your server against a variety of online threats
and take the necessary steps to remedy a security breach.
To help you understand the security landscape that surrounds your
dedicated server hosting service, JaguarPC shares our years of
experience and expertise below. Read on to learn the three most common
types of security breach on a dedicated server hosting plan, and what
you should be doing to protect your server from these attacks.
Denial of service attacks can cripple your dedicated server hosting service
Some security threats your dedicated server faces are designed to
steal data and, ultimately, facilitate other crimes, such as credit card
fraud or black market data sales. However, one common form of attack is
designed to do little more than cause large-scale disruption of your
business.
If you require a dedicated server,
it is likely that your website has a growing online reputation.
However, a growing reputation makes your server a prime target for
denial of service (DoS) attacks.
A denial of service attack causes server failure and unavailability
by overwhelming the system with traffic. One type of DoS attack, the
distributed denial of service (DDoS), has multiple malicious computers
working together to flood your server with traffic, waste your hardware
resources, and damage the experience of legitimate customers.
The first line of defense against a DDoS attack is ensuring you
choose a dedicated server that is deployed on the best possible
hardware, with generous system resources. You should also do the
following:
- Make sure your hosting provider offers a quality perimeter firewall to stop malicious data before it reaches your server
- Monitor your server for the first signs of unexpected traffic increases
DoS attacks are one of the most common external threats to your
server’s stability. But some of the most devastating security breaches
are those that begin from within your server.
The threat of malware on your dedicated server
Since a dedicated server allows customers to install applications with ease, this type of service is prone to malware.
Malware describes a wide range of software that is coded to create
disruption or steal data from your server. The term is regularly used to
refer to spyware, viruses, worms, and trojans. The functionality of
these applications varies, but can include recording your every
keystroke or copying your most sensitive and confidential databases.
Sometimes, malware can be bundled with legitimate applications and
scripts. As a result, you should always scan files before you run them
on your server. You should also do the following:
- Look for a hosting provider with ongoing vulnerability scanning
- Routinely check your site for unexpected behavior, including invisible frames and unusual advertisements
- Consider testing all software on a secure, isolated home device before uploading to your website
Malware is software that is carefully designed and programmed to breach your dedicated server security. Unfortunately, some dedicated server hosting users make the work of criminals easier.
Do not forget the risk of a dedicated server hosting password breach
Hackers and criminals are becoming more sophisticated, with advanced
tools and technology to help them destroy your data, and also your
online reputation. However, many attackers can penetrate your dedicated
server hosting account with the most effective tool of all: your
password.
Unfortunately, many dedicated server
users do not implement a robust password policy and find that, with or
without the help of software, hackers can obtain their passwords and
gain access to their data.
There are essentially two elements of a good password strategy.
First, you should not use words, phrases, or terms that can be found in a
dictionary for your password. A seemingly random combination of upper
and lowercase letters and numbers is far more difficult for a criminal
to deduce. Second, avoid keeping the same password for a long period of
time. Every two weeks, change your password to an entirely new string.
You should also do the following:
- Implement different passwords for each element of your dedicated server. Choose one password for mail access, one for your control panel, one for your FTP account, and so on. This ensures that a hacker cannot gain complete access even in the event of a password breach
- Where possible, log in through a secure SSL connection
- Whenever you enter your password, check that the web address and page content is as you would expect, not a phishing website
- Never access your hosting control panel from a link in an email. Instead, enter the web address manually
These are just three common security concerns in a dedicated server
hosting plan. As with all online security topics, be sure to take the
time to research new and developing risks regularly.
Secure dedicated server hosting from JaguarPC
Although control and security are two major selling points of a dedicated server hosting plan,
too much control without experience often leads to gaps in the security
of your server. To help, JaguarPC offers dedicated server hosting
services, in addition to managed services to assist with your security.
Customers can select from a range of dedicated server hosting
services, all of which include free remote reboots, full root access,
and a remote desktop facility. When your plan is set up, JaguarPC will
also conduct free initial server hardening, protecting your server
against potential attacks.
For a nominal charge, JaguarPC can also provide managed dedicated
server hosting services, including ongoing proactive server monitoring,
security upgrades and patches, and alerting in the event of a suspected
breach.
These services all include an R1Soft license, allowing you to regularly back up your data in case of attack.
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