Secure your VPS

Change root password

When you get a VPS with Lixux OS you will be provided with a root password by the VPS provider. Change the root password:

sudo passwd root

Add a non-root user

For best security practice root should not be default user. Add a non-root user:

sudo adduser userNameHere

Install Network Time Protocol

To avoid time drift use Network Time Protocol (NTP). First install:

 sudo apt-get update

 sudo apt-get install ntp ntpdate

Stop NTP service and point to NTP server:

sudo service ntp stop

sudo ntpdate pool.ntp.org

Start NTP service and check status:

sudo service ntp start

sudo systemctl status ntp

Install Htop

It is useful to be able to monitor CPU and memory use on your server. For this purpose install Htop:

sudo apt install htop

Secure shell (SSH)

It is sensible to use SSH when connection to your server. Most VPS hosting sites have a SSH guide specific to their hosting platform, so you should follow the specifics of your hosting provider's SSH guide.

Configure your firewall

Disable firewall off, set default to block incoming traffic and allow outgoing:

sudo ufw disable

sudo ufw default deny incoming

sudo ufw default allow outgoing

Allow specific ports for Secure Shell (SSH) and Partisia:

sudo ufw allow your-SSH-port-number

sudo ufw allow 9888:9897/tcp

Enable rate limiting on your SSH connection

sudo ufw limit your-SSH-port-number

Enable logging, start the firewall and check status:

sudo ufw logging on

sudo ufw enable

sudo ufw status