6 important methods to keep servers safe
by ORionDig
For most modern businesses, data security is just as important as physical security. Just think about all of the critical business information, intellectual property, and client data that you store on your computer servers. You wouldn’t leave that information sitting on your desk with the door unlocked, and you shouldn’t leave it stored on your servers without putting adequate security measures in place
Have you ever made the security of your company’s resources a priority? Have you tested how secures your servers are and more importantly, have you taken security measures to secure your servers in the best way possible? When it comes to servers, there’s no messing around. Servers need to be regularly monitored and maintained to ensure they run at their best. Your servers allow their users to share and access their information from various workstations. Servers also store your data and keep it accessible quite simply, their job is to serve information to other computers if by any means your servers are compromised then your data and the data of all your customers are in risk of falling into the wrong hands.
There are many things you can do to keep your servers safe from harm, both internally and externally. In this case, external safety refers to the physical protection of a server, while internal safety refers to the data stored on the server. Naturally, the two are directly related.
Keeping your servers safe and running smoothly is an integral way to nurture the success of your business. Regardless of whether your company is a startup or an established business, it is likely that you have multiple servers on your network. The more you care about your servers, the better they’ll serve you—so let’s start talking about how.
1. Make sure your security is tight.
Your server is responsible for your mail, web documents, files transfers, and services from connected client computers which are attached to the network. It goes without saying that these are areas you’re going to want to keep private and secure.
The best way to protect your privacy is to add an extra layer of security to your servers. You can do this by only allowing access to specific users who can enter exclusively with a username and password. Proper permissions setup in active directory is key. You can also limit file access to select employees only and keep your eye out for any suspicious activity. As the old saying goes, “stay alert, stay safe.
2. Have designated roles for each server.
In other words, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. This is an older technique that has stuck with the ages. Even though servers were once seen as expensive, it is widely recognized that when a server goes down, all production goes down as well. Keeping all your information on one server is simply too risky.
There are many kinds of servers, each with its own unique features. From email servers, file servers, backup servers, web servers, and beyond, each server can be programmed to host a plethora of different services.
3. Audit Vulnerabilities
Once you’ve taken all the necessary steps to harden your server, you may want to use an auditing tool to check for vulnerabilities you may have missed. The center of internet security is a great resource which offers dozens of free auditing tools for operating systems, applications, and network devices. These tools will scan your system to find possible exploits and open ports you may have missed.
After making sure your server has been firewalled, secured and audited, it’s time to install your intrusion protection software and make a plan for ongoing maintenance. Unfortunately, securing your server is not a one-time procedure — you’ll need to get into a routine of regularly scanning your system and updating your security software. You’ll also need to keep on top of security patches released by your software vendors and plan for regular security audits.
While it may take some diligence to get into a maintenance routine, it’s the only real way to stay on top of emerging threats.
4. Always have a backup of your data off-site
Your data is too precious to you and your clients, so keep your servers cool, backed up, and virtual. A managed IT company will make sure you have a disaster recovery plan in case of an emergency. The best way to prevent data loss is to run a real live test of your backups. Unplug your server and pretend you don’t have access to it anymore. Then see if you can retrieve your data from your backups, how long the process will take, and whether you can work while your server is down. Document everything and repeat until you meet your recovery point objectives.
5. Use Linux
Linux servers have been historically more secure than their Windows counterparts. Regardless of which operating system a server uses, though, it is important that webmasters and systems administrators are always knowledgeable of the most recent potential threats to their servers. Linux, an open-source platform with a huge global community, tends to offer quick responses to any potential viruses or attacks because there are so many skilled programmers working together to develop an appropriate security measure.
6. it’s always better to use preventative measures, instead of cleaning up after a crash.
No one ever wants to hear the words, “The Server Crashed.” To avoid this, it’s important to have a server troubleshooting and maintenance routine. Again, if you choose not to use managed backup services which include backup and disaster recovery planning, you are exposing your business to risks of data loss. Downtime usually means you are losing money instead of making money.
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