ServerPronto University

There’s an interesting discussion on hacking going on over at LinuxForums. A poster from Fullerton, California who uses Suse Linux says he’s been the target of hackers hired by a world wide multi-million dollar company after a Wikipedia slip exposed his IP address, among other things. He wants to know, in short, if his system has been hacked. The conclusion of the story is, he probably wasn’t. But it’s an interesting security issue that we’ve all got to be careful of.

ServerPronto’s Managed Firewall service eliminates the need to run to open source chat boards wondering if you’ve been hacked or if your hard disk is just corrupted. ServerPronto’s Basic Firewall service places you behind a fault tolerant pair of Cisco PIX 515 with 64MB of memory running Cisco Secure Software. Each server protected by the shared firewall will be in a shared VLAN with the other servers being protected.

So the world’s most affordable dedicated server is also security-minded. Click here to learn more about the myriad of options you get when you order your dedicated server from ServerPronto.

No software is bullet proof. Hackers, especially those motivated by money, can often find a way in the back door if they try hard enough.

This week, security researchers discovered a vulnerability in various SuSE products. That vulnerability could be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code. The issue is caused by an error in Openoffice.org. Make sure you’re patched! Click here to find out more about this bug and the fix.

ServerPronto offers SuSE Linux Dedicated Servers with managed firewalls to help you shut the door on attackers until a fix is released. Click here to learn more about SuSE Dedicated Servers. There are several options to choose from.

Microsoft issued six sets of updates to patch 15 bugs in June’s Patch Tuesday release. The fixes address 12 critical bugs, six of them in Windows software and six in Internet Explorer.Although the IE bugs are the focus of most security analysis this week, flaws in Windows Vista have become a topic of discussion as well.

Two patches plug holes in Microsoft’s newest operating system. One critical patch affects Windows Mail in Vista and Windows Vista x64 edition, while a second Vista bug is rated “moderate.”
Click here to read about ServerPronto’s benefits. Customers can choose managed firewalls in a customized dedicated server set up.

Another security update that fixes two vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office ranks as “important.” However, experts agree that bulletins MS07-031 and MS07-035 are the most critical of the batch, and should be applied first.

MS07-031 deals with a vulnerability in the Windows Secure Channel module and MS07-035 resolves a vulnerability in the Win32 API. Both issues addressed by these patches involve remote code execution and translate to potential exploits when users simply visit a malicious Web site.

Click here to read the rest of this story on CIO Today.

Freedom, by definition, demands responsibility.

In dedicated server land, you enjoy abundant freedom. You’re free to run the OS and software that best meets your needs (as long as that software doesn’t violate your provider’s acceptable use policies). You’re free to have as many IP addresses and domains as you’d like. And you’re free to choose the bandwidth allotment that your traffic demands.
 

Of course, along with that flexibility and power comes the duty to protect your turf. Here are a few best practices that will help your server remain free – and safe:
 

1. Patch, Patch, Patch
   Why leave the door wide open for a hacker? Keep an eye out for patches for all your software and apply them regularly and diligently. Apache web server patches are announced at http://httpd.apache.org/security_report.html, and you can find patches and more for Microsoft’s IIS at http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2003/iis/default.mspx.
   If you’re using Windows, visit http://update.microsoft.com often to check for both critical and optional OS and software patches. Or, better yet, turn on automatic updates. Many Linux distributions also feature an automatic update feature. But, if the one you’re using does not, check the distro’s website. The same goes for all your applications, particularly your software firewall.
2. Work Within a Secure Shell
   Whenever you update and maintain your website, be sure to do so using SSH/SCP so that your login information is encrypted. Encryption is a simple, yet powerful, best practice that will could eliminate a myriad of problems.
3. Practice Good Password Hygiene
   Cheekymonkey is not a good password! Hackers love passwords that contain dictionary words. Make their lives a lot harder by choosing passwords that are at least six characters long, use a mixture of upper and lowercase letters, and include numbers and other allowable characters.
4. Close Your Ports
   You’ll need port 80 for HTTP access and port 22 to use SSH/SCP, and, if your site provides secure transactions for e-commerce and the like, you’ll also need to open port 443. Beyond these essential gateways, however, examine your needs very carefully and close down any ports you won’t need.
5. Inoculate Your Server Against Viruses
   In today’s security climate, it should go without saying, yet security researchers continue to report amazement into how often this safe computing practice is ignored. Be sure to use an antivirus program that provides frequent definition updates.
6. Don’t Forget Physical Security
   With all the cyber-threats that loom, it’s easy to forget that one of the easiest ways to compromise a server is to have physical access to it. While most data centers are reasonably secure, it pays to see if your provider’s facilities are housed in reinforced structures with adequate security.

Discussions of server security can – and do – fill entire books, but these tips provide a good start and will help you provide your users a safe and secure Web environment.

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