Production A Web Server

[computerman]

Ive just purchased a decicated web server from fasthosts.co.uk and was wondering how I could protect it?

[computerman]

LoL

I phoned them up and they said it was my responseable to maintain and look after the server?

[Mark_1983]

Install a firewall, disable telnet, disable ftp and anything else that you wont be using or has a secure alternative. Also change all default passwords to hard to guess altha-numeric passwords. Even if your server is new check to see if you have the latest patches installed for your operating system and control panel if you have one.

That will be a good start but it would be well worth getting some good books on keeping your server secure.

[Pegasus]

Originally posted by computerman
I phoned them up and they said it was my responseable to maintain and look after the server?

When they say it is your responsibility to maintain & look after the server, they mean just that.
With regards to connectivity, all hosting companies that I know of will look after the security side of things with regards to a firewall (you just tell them what ports you want open and what services you will be running).

Originally posted by madmanc
You could sit next to it with a large hammer and scream 'GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY SERVER, GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY SERVER.

LMFAO

[Aido]

Another good thing for starters mate is if you're running IIS make sure you install URLScan or SecureIIS...

URLScan is free so a lot of people use that - it basically allows you to control what type of requests / malformed url's it will accept or deny.....

It's no substitute for keeping the patches up to date and having a good config as has already been mentioned but it sure helps....

Also, if you've got to maintain the server yourself are you going to set up any monitoring / alerting etc?

Companies such as Mercury offer a service called Activewatch where they will monitor your URL and alert you if any problems occur, we used to use it for the sites we hosted (before it got outsourced and went to shit!)

[bmuk]

security is not the hosts problem at all. we run cabinets in telehouse london. we sell you the space and the transit and you run your company. your uplink will only tend to intercept if you're being attacked and its affecting other users on the same switch or cabinet as you.

it really isnt your hosts fault if you're running a telnet service with root logins allowed.

what OS is it running?

[Cam]

Originally posted by madmanc
Just out interest , how much is this server costing?

and what can you use it for?

not much £89 p/m for a matrix windows server
and £199 p/m for a matrix linux serer

http://www.fasthosts.co.uk/02_matrix.html

u can use it for many internet apps like a dc hub games server things like that (i guess a ircd (irc server) but that depends on how much b/w u get)