5 Steps to Bulletproof Your Linux Server in 2025

Every day, thousands of automated bots scan the internet looking for vulnerable VPS instances. If you just deployed a fresh Ubuntu or Debian server, you are a target. Here is the essential hardening checklist every sysadmin needs.

1. Disable Root Login Immediately

The "root" user is the first username hackers guess. Never use it for SSH.

# Create a new user
adduser adminuser
usermod -aG sudo adminuser

Once created, edit your /etc/ssh/sshd_config file and set PermitRootLogin no.

2. Set Up a Firewall (UFW)

Ubuntu comes with UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall). Enable it to block all incoming traffic except SSH and Web.

  • sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
  • sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
  • sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
  • sudo ufw enable

3. Hide Your Traffic with a Business VPN

Firewalls protect your ports, but they don't hide your administration traffic. If you manage servers from coffee shops or public WiFi, your credentials are at risk.

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4. Install Fail2Ban

Fail2Ban scans log files and bans IPs that show malicious signs -- too many password failures, seeking for exploits, etc. It updates firewall rules to reject the IP addresses for a specified amount of time.

Security is a continuous process. Stay tuned to SecReport.online for daily CVE alerts and patches.

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