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Best Practices for Securing Linux Servers In this rapidly advancing digital era where our entire world revolves around data, it has never been more important to protect data centres from all possible infringements especially online. In terms of security, Linux servers have always trumped Windows' and this is mostly down to not just the way they are built, but also to a large extent the way they are used. It costs far less to prevent server breaches and attacks than to fix them so it'll always make more sense to do the former. This article aims to highlight the best practices for securing Linux servers and keeping data safe from intrusive attacks. The following should effectively reduce your vulnerabilities and keep your servers safer. Installing and Running only what's needed It's understandable to think that since you have perhaps 100GB of server space, you might as well install all the web services you may need now and in the future but this could be at the detriment of your Linux servers as you make them prone to the vulnerabilities associated with these web services and programs installed. The best practice for installing and running programs or packages in order to secure your servers is to stick to what you need. A fewer packages running essentially means it is less likely for an un-patched code to go unnoticed by an admin. Setting up a Root Login Detector and Emailer Just as server security is becoming more advanced, hackers are also upgrading and renovating their craft. As a result it is important to also take actions to protect your Linux servers in the unlikely event that someone manages to successfully login as a root user. By setting up this login detector and emailer, you will instantly be notified when someone gains access thus allowing you to take further protective measures in such a scenario. Restrict Server Access Just as you wouldn't give anyone access to your bank account just because you're familiar with them, the same rule applies to your Linux servers. It is good practice to not just limit the amount of people with access to the servers but also the kind of people as doing this will essentially help reduce overall vulnerabilities to potential attacks. Using Secure SSH Logins By using SSH logins, vital information will remain safe even whilst using an unsecured network. The direct opposite of this is to use FTP, Gelnet and RSH services. When these are used, intruders can easily spy on your servers as long as they're on the same network. However, when secure SSH logins are used, an extra layer of security is added making intrusions of this nature impossible. Setting up and Activating a Firewall Firewalls are very effective in warding off malware and virus attacks and when installed on a server, it will block incoming malicious requests and secure the FTP by eliminating malicious files. Some Linux packages such as Ubuntu, Samba and Apache all come with firewall turned off by default and although many experienced admins are aware of the need to turn them on, for those who don't, they may be leaving their Linux servers vulnerable to intrusive attacks. Data Encryption Encryption essentially transforms the data being processed in and out of the server into unreadable strings of code. This process will add an extra layer of security to the Linux servers thereby making it harder to breach it without first breaking the encryption system. Unless this system is decrypted, all an intruder has access to is an unusual and disorganised computer language. Final Thoughts It is important to keep in mind that although the above practices will help minimise the risk of getting attacked by adding extra layers of security to your Linux servers, they will in no way discourage anyone who is determined to take your server down from trying. As a result, taking steps to secure these servers should be an ongoing and consistent process rather than a one off activity.