Every 39 seconds a data hack occurs in the United States. Most of these hacks affect small to medium size businesses.
For most businesses, collecting and storing sensitive data is commonplace. The servers that make the information your business collects accessible need to be protected at all costs.
Implementing the use of comprehensive security and server configuration monitoring software are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to protecting sensitive information. Consulting with IT professionals will help you greatly when trying to figure out how to avoid letting information fall into the hands of cyber-criminals.
Are you in the process of trying to secure your servers? If so, check out the helpful tips below.
SSH Keys Can Be Quite Helpful
Are you looking for an alternative way to secure your servers without the need for a password? If so, using SSH keys may be a great idea.
These cryptographic keys can be used to authenticate a user who is attempting to access your servers. You can create both public and private keys for employees and clients to use. A private key will generally be kept a secret and will have to be secured by the user. A public SSH key can be shared with multiple users.
Each of the SSH keys you issue will have to be placed in a special directory on your server. When attempting to sign on to a server, users will be prompted to input the information from their SSH key. Once this information has been authenticated, access to the server will be granted. The biggest benefit that comes with using SSH keys is that they are completely encrypted.
An Adequate Firewall is Essential
Controlling the services that are exposed to your network and servers is easy with the right firewall software. Generally, a server will have public, private and internal services that run by default. Installing firewall software on your network will give you the opportunity to alter these default settings.
In most cases, you will want to leave public services open and available to all of the people on your network. However, you need to restrict access to public and internal services with the help of your firewall software. Generally, the best way to protect the core functionality of your servers is by making internal service completely inaccessible to outside entities.
The Power of Service Auditing
Fully understanding the security issues your server has will require you to perform a service audit. During these audits, you will be able to view vulnerabilities that need to be addressed with ease.
The first thing you need to pay attention to during these audits is what is actually running on your system. The more software programs you install on your server, the more of a strain it will put on your network. If the new software programs you have installed startup automatically, it can cause freeze-ups and other functionality issues.
Once you have a list of the programs that are running, you can figure out whether or not you need to delete some of them to restore your server’s functionality. Running a service audit a couple of times a year will keep you up to speed on the overall condition of your servers.
If you are unsure about how to alter your servers for maximum performance, reaching out for some professional help is a good idea. With the assistance of a knowledgeable IT professional, you can keep your servers secure and accessible.
