What are the most important server security best practices?

[Jack.L]

I just took over management of several servers and want to make sure I'm following proper server security best practices. Some of these servers haven't been updated in months which worries me.

What should be included in a secure server setup checklist? I'm particularly concerned about firewall configuration, user permissions, and regular security updates.

Also, what tools do you use for website uptime monitoring and security scanning? I want to set up proper monitoring but there are so many options out there.

[Mia_W]

Server security best practices should always start with updates. Make sure all packages are current, especially security updates. Set up automatic security updates for critical packages.

For a secure server setup checklist: 1) Change default SSH port, 2) Disable root SSH login, 3) Set up SSH key authentication, 4) Configure firewall (UFW or iptables), 5) Install Fail2ban, 6) Set up log monitoring.

These are the basics that will protect against most common attacks. For website uptime monitoring, I use UptimeRobot for free basic monitoring.

[Justin_P]

Don't forget about file permissions in your server security best practices. Make sure directories are 755 and files are 644. Never use 777 permissions.

For website uptime monitoring with more features, check out Pingdom or StatusCake. They offer more detailed reporting and can monitor specific services (not just HTTP).

Also consider setting up a security audit tool like Lynis. It scans your server and gives you a report on what needs to be fixed. Great for identifying gaps in your secure server setup.

[Alexander6]

If these are web servers, pay special attention to web application security as part of your server security best practices. This includes: configuring proper HTTP headers (HSTS, CSP), setting up ModSecurity if using Apache, and regularly scanning for vulnerabilities.

For website uptime monitoring, I recommend setting up multiple monitoring locations. Sometimes a monitoring service in one region might not catch issues that affect users in another region.

Also, monitor disk space and memory usage. Running out of disk space can take down a server just as effectively as any attack.

[PatrickFJ]

As someone still learning Linux server administration, I found the CSF firewall configuration to be the most challenging part of secure server setup.

My advice: start with the default CSF settings and only make changes you understand. Don't just copy configs from the internet without knowing what they do.

For website uptime monitoring, I use a simple bash script that checks if Apache is running and restarts it if needed. Combined with UptimeRobot for external monitoring, this covers most issues.

[IvyN]

Backups are a critical part of server security best practices that often get overlooked. Your secure server setup should include automated, encrypted, off-site backups.

I use BorgBackup with BorgBase for this. It does incremental backups with deduplication, so it's efficient even for large servers.

Test your restore process regularly too. Having backups is useless if you don't know how to restore from them when needed. I do a test restore every quarter to make sure everything works.