Securing your unmanaged VPS: A step-by-step guide. 

Securing an unmanaged VPS is a critical task, as you are solely responsible for its protection. Neglecting security can lead to data breaches, website defacement, DDoS attacks, and your server being used for malicious activities. This guide provides a step-by-step approach to securing your unmanaged Linux VPS.

Disclaimer: Security is an ongoing process, not a one-time setup. This guide covers essential steps, but continuous monitoring, updates, and vigilance are crucial.

Prerequisites:

• An unmanaged Linux VPS (Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux are common).
• SSH client (PuTTY/MobaXterm for Windows, Terminal for macOS/Linux).
• Basic command-line familiarity.
• Crucially, a working internet connection.

Step 1: Initial Login and Immediate Actions

1. Login as Root (Initially): Use the IP address and root password provided by your VPS host.

   Bash

   ssh root@your_vps_ip_address
   

   If you get a security warning about the host key, accept it.

2. Change Root Password: If your provider gave you a temporary password, change it immediately to a strong, unique one.

   Bash

   passwd
   

   Enter the new password twice. Use a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.

3. Update All System Packages: This patches known vulnerabilities in the operating system and installed software.

   • Ubuntu/Debian:
     Bash

     sudo apt update
     sudo apt upgrade -y
     

   • CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux:
     Bash

     sudo yum update -y
     # Or for newer versions: sudo dnf update -y
     

   Reboot if the kernel was updated:

   Bash

   sudo reboot
   

   You’ll be disconnected; wait a minute or two and then reconnect.

Step 2: Create a New Sudo User and Secure SSH

This is fundamental for daily operations and significantly reduces the risk of direct root compromises.

1. Create a New Standard User: Choose a strong username.

   • Ubuntu/Debian:
     Bash

     adduser your_username
     

     Follow the prompts to set a strong password and optional user information.

   • CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux:
     Bash

     useradd your_username
     passwd your_username # Set the password for the new user
     

     Follow the prompts.

2. Grant Sudo Privileges to the New User: This allows your_username to execute commands with administrative privileges when needed.

   • Ubuntu/Debian:
     Bash

     usermod -aG sudo your_username
     

   • CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux:
     Bash

     usermod -aG wheel your_username
     

3. Test the New User Login:Crucially, open a NEW SSH session (do not close the root session yet). Log in with your new user:

   Bash

   ssh your_username@your_vps_ip_address
   

   Verify sudo access by trying a simple command:

   Bash

   sudo apt update # Ubuntu/Debian
   sudo yum update # CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux
   

   It should ask for your your_username‘s password. If this works, you’re good.

4. Disable Root SSH Login: This prevents brute-force attacks directly on the root account.

   • From your new sudo user’s session:
     Bash

     sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
     

   • Find the line PermitRootLogin yes and change it to:

     PermitRootLogin no
     

   • Save and exit (Ctrl+X, Y, Enter for nano).
   • Restart the SSH service to apply changes:
     Bash

     sudo systemctl restart sshd
     

   • Now you can close the root SSH session. From now on, you will always log in as your_username.

5. Set Up SSH Key Authentication (Highly Recommended): This is much more secure than passwords, as it uses cryptographic keys.

   • Generate an SSH Key Pair (on your local machine):
     • macOS/Linux:
       Bash

       ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096
       

       Follow prompts (press Enter for default location, optionally set a passphrase for extra security).

     • Windows (PuTTYgen for PuTTY users): Open PuTTYgen, click “Generate,” move your mouse randomly, then save both public (id_rsa.pub) and private (id_rsa.ppk) keys.
   • Copy Public Key to VPS:
     • macOS/Linux:
       Bash

       ssh-copy-id your_username@your_vps_ip_address
       

       Enter your your_username‘s password when prompted.

     • Windows (PuTTY/manual):
       1. Connect to your VPS with your password as your_username.
       2. Create the .ssh directory and authorized_keys file if they don’t exist:
          Bash

          mkdir -p ~/.ssh
          chmod 700 ~/.ssh
          touch ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
          chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
          

       3. Open your locally saved id_rsa.pub file (the public key) with a text editor. Copy its entire content.
       4. On your VPS, edit the authorized_keys file:
          Bash

          nano ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
          

       5. Paste your public key into this file. Save and exit.
   • Disable Password Authentication (Optional but Recommended): Once you can log in using your SSH key, disable password logins for even greater security.
     • Login to your VPS via SSH key.
     • Edit sshd_config again:
       Bash

       sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
       

     • Find PasswordAuthentication yes and change it to:

       PasswordAuthentication no
       

     • Save and exit. Restart SSH service:
       Bash

       sudo systemctl restart sshd
       

     • Crucially, test this again! Open a new SSH session and try to log in with your SSH key. If it works, try to log in with just your password (it should fail). If it doesn’t work with the key, re-enable PasswordAuthentication yes and troubleshoot.

Step 3: Configure a Firewall

A firewall is your server’s first line of defense, blocking unwanted traffic.

• For Ubuntu/Debian (UFW – Uncomplicated Firewall):

  Bash

  sudo apt install ufw -y # Install if not present
  sudo ufw allow OpenSSH  # Allow SSH (port 22) - ESSENTIAL, so you don't lock yourself out
  sudo ufw default deny incoming # Deny all other incoming by default
  sudo ufw default allow outgoing # Allow all outgoing
  sudo ufw enable # Enable the firewall
  sudo ufw status verbose # Check status
  

  • Open ports for services you run:
    • HTTP (web server): sudo ufw allow http or sudo ufw allow 80
    • HTTPS (SSL web server): sudo ufw allow https or sudo ufw allow 443
    • FTP (if used): sudo ufw allow 21/tcp (and possibly passive ports) – Avoid FTP if possible, use SFTP.
    • MySQL (if accessed remotely): sudo ufw allow mysql or sudo ufw allow 3306 – Only if truly necessary, restrict by IP if possible.

• For CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux (firewalld):

  Bash

  sudo systemctl enable firewalld --now # Enable and start
  sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh # Allow SSH
  sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http # Allow HTTP
  sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https # Allow HTTPS
  sudo firewall-cmd --reload # Apply changes
  sudo firewall-cmd --list-all # Check status
  

  • Open other ports as needed (e.g., MySQL if accessed remotely):
    Bash

    sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=3306/tcp
    sudo firewall-cmd --reload
    

Step 4: Install and Configure Fail2Ban

Fail2Ban monitors logs for suspicious activity (like repeated failed login attempts) and automatically bans the offending IP addresses for a set period.

• Install Fail2Ban:

  • Ubuntu/Debian:
    Bash

    sudo apt install fail2ban -y
    

  • CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux:
    Bash

    sudo yum install epel-release -y
    sudo yum install fail2ban fail2ban-systemd -y # For CentOS 7+
    

• Configure Fail2Ban: Create a local configuration file to override defaults without directly modifying the main config.

  Bash

  sudo cp /etc/fail2ban/jail.conf /etc/fail2ban/jail.local
  sudo nano /etc/fail2ban/jail.local
  

  • Find and modify the [sshd] section (or create it if missing for some reason):
    • Ensure enabled = true
    • Consider setting bantime (e.g., bantime = 1h for 1 hour ban)
    • Consider setting maxretry (e.g., maxretry = 3 for 3 failed attempts)
  • Add your IP address to ignoreip to prevent yourself from being banned (e.g., ignoreip = 127.0.0.1 ::1 your_local_ip_address).
  • Save and exit.

• Start and Enable Fail2Ban:

  Bash

  sudo systemctl start fail2ban
  sudo systemctl enable fail2ban
  sudo systemctl status fail2ban # Check status
  

  You can check banned IPs with sudo fail2ban-client status sshd.

Step 5: Install and Configure Automated Updates (Highly Recommended)

While you’ve manually updated, setting up automatic security updates is crucial.

• Ubuntu/Debian (Unattended Upgrades):

  Bash

  sudo apt install unattended-upgrades -y
  sudo dpkg-reconfigure --priority=low unattended-upgrades
  

  Follow the prompts. It’s usually safe to enable automatic security updates. You can also edit /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades to customize.

• CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux (dnf-automatic or yum-cron):

  • For dnf-automatic (newer CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux):
    Bash

    sudo dnf install dnf-automatic -y
    sudo nano /etc/dnf/automatic.conf
    

    Edit apply_updates = yes and emit_via = email (or other methods).

    Bash

    sudo systemctl enable dnf-automatic.timer --now
    

  • For yum-cron (older CentOS/RHEL):
    Bash

    sudo yum install yum-cron -y
    sudo nano /etc/yum/yum-cron.conf
    

    Set apply_updates = yes and email_to if you want email notifications.

    Bash

    sudo systemctl start yum-cron
    sudo systemctl enable yum-cron
    

Step 6: Regular Backups

This is not a security measure per se, but it’s your last line of defense against data loss due to successful attacks, accidental deletion, or hardware failure.

• VPS Provider Backups: Many providers offer automated backup services for an extra fee. This is often the easiest option.
• Manual Backups:
  • tar for archiving files: sudo tar -czvf /backup/website_backup.tar.gz /var/www/html
  • mysqldump for databases: sudo mysqldump -u root -p database_name > /backup/database_name.sql
• Automated Backup Scripts: Write a script to automate tar and mysqldump, then schedule it with cron.
• Offsite Storage: Always store backups off your VPS (e.g., Google Drive, Amazon S3, Dropbox, another server). Use rsync or scp to transfer.

Step 7: Basic Malware and Rootkit Scanning

Tools to periodically check for malicious software.

• ClamAV (Antivirus):
  Bash

  sudo apt install clamav clamav-daemon -y # Ubuntu/Debian
  sudo yum install epel-release -y && sudo yum install clamav clamd -y # CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux
  sudo freshclam # Update virus definitions
  sudo clamscan -r -i / # Scan entire system (can take a long time)
  

• Chkrootkit (Rootkit Scanner):
  Bash

  sudo apt install chkrootkit -y # Ubuntu/Debian
  sudo yum install chkrootkit -y # CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux (may need EPEL)
  sudo chkrootkit
  

• Rootkit Hunter (rkhunter):
  Bash

  sudo apt install rkhunter -y # Ubuntu/Debian
  sudo yum install rkhunter -y # CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux (may need EPEL)
  sudo rkhunter --update
  sudo rkhunter --check
  

  These tools are for scanning, not real-time protection. Run them periodically.

Step 8: Keep Services and Software Updated and Secure

• Web Server (Apache/Nginx):
  • Keep it updated.
  • Configure it for security (e.g., disable unused modules, set appropriate permissions for web root, disable directory listings, use mod_security for Apache or equivalent for Nginx).
• Database Server (MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL):
  • Keep it updated.
  • Run mysql_secure_installation if using MySQL/MariaDB.
  • Use strong, unique passwords for database users.
  • Restrict database access to localhost if possible (only allow your web server to connect). If remote access is needed, use firewall rules to limit by source IP.
• PHP (if used):
  • Use the latest stable PHP version.
  • Disable dangerous functions in php.ini (e.g., disable_functions = exec, passthru, shell_exec, system, proc_open, popen, curl_exec, curl_multi_exec, parse_ini_file, show_source).
  • Set expose_php = Off.
• Application Security:
  • If running CMS like WordPress, keep core, themes, and plugins updated. Use strong passwords for admin accounts.
  • Regularly audit code for custom applications.

Step 9: Log Monitoring

• Regularly check system logs for unusual activity.
  • journalctl -u sshd (SSH logs)
  • tail -f /var/log/auth.log (Ubuntu/Debian authentication logs)
  • tail -f /var/log/secure (CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux authentication logs)
  • Web server access and error logs (e.g., /var/log/apache2/access.log, /var/log/nginx/error.log).
• Consider using a log management tool (e.g., ELK Stack, Splunk, Graylog) for larger setups.

Step 10: General Best Practices

• Use Strong, Unique Passwords: For all accounts and services.
• Principle of Least Privilege: Grant users and services only the minimum permissions they need to function.
• Remove Unused Services/Software: Reduces the attack surface.
• Stay Informed: Follow security news, especially for your OS and applications.
• Perform Regular Audits: Periodically review your server’s security configurations.

Securing an unmanaged VPS is an ongoing commitment. By following these steps, you’ll establish a strong security foundation for your server, but remember to stay proactive and adapt as new threats emerge.

Related posts:

How to install SSL on a VPS (step-by-step) How to secure your VPS server How to set up a firewall on your server How to Set Up a VPS: Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide