Risks of attacks on your dedicated server from hackers increase daily. You have to stay up to date with current security vulnerabilities and security issues. There is no point in securing a dedicated server and never keeping the security software (and hardware) up to date. Contact your dedicated server provider to make sure your security defenses are up to date. This should be a regular task that is performed on a constant basis. Staying up to date via http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/ is one place that can help secure a server and stay up to date on current vulnerabilities.
Good Hackers?
Interestingly, it is possible to hire hackers to test your own defenses. Many websites pop up for this term when used in a search engine. It is of course extremely important to make sure that you know who you are hiring. You, of course, don’t want to cause more damage by inviting hackers to hurt your business in countless catastrophic ways. One solution would be to set up a dedicated server with nothing on it except your security defenses and see how they hold up.
These hackers are known as white hackers. They will inform you if there are security issues that need to be addressed. Following that, they will advise you on what needs improvement. However, this will only work on a one time test. You will need to have routine security checks performed on your dedicated server. This will keep your defenses up to date and able to ward off attacks. Attacks are increasingly imaginative, devious and cunning to obtaining access to sensitive data or simply bringing down your server.
This is also common for large and small companies to hire hackers to test the company’s security systems and most importantly, find ways to harden their systems, reports homelandsecuritynewswire.com. One well-known company doing this is Boeing since they do hold some of America’s most important advances in aerial technology.
PCmag.com has listed a number of hackers who were hired by major companies after ending up in court for hacking. The Homeland Security Advisory Council, Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter hired hackers. Even exqSoft Solutions based here in Oregon hired the Twitter worm creator.
Even though you may not be as large a company as Boeing, VISA reports that 95% of credit card thefts originate from small businesses. What this means is that your small company will be faced with all the losses suffered due to stolen credit card information. As of December 2017, American Express has allowed businesses to completely wave signatures after purchase. This can have serious consequences for businesses taking this risk.
Automated scanning of security vulnerabilities
There are, however, services available for affordable monthly fees that will monitor your server for vulnerabilities such as SiteLock. However, having your dedicated server security provider install software on top of that will help significantly. A third option is to hire an outside company that will test your security defenses. Even though cost could be a major factor for websites, it will be much more costly to skip an important security check. This is especially true if it is a one time fee or possibly a low monthly cost.
An important to remember that if security vulnerabilities are discovered, that a solution to the problem is made available right away. This can be via technical support from your provider, patch or security update. Security vulnerabilities can be found either via a monthly security scanning service or a one-time test of your security from a third-party. If the security vulnerabilities have been discovered, there is a very good chance that the “bad guys” out there are aware of it too. They will know how to perform a quick check of these security vulnerabilities on your server too.
One big advantage of having a small online business or even a home business is that there are fewer points of entry to gain access to a system such as with BYOD, Bring Your Own Device policies. In a large company, there are many ways to try to gain unauthorized access. This can be via smartphones, tablets, spoof attacks and even social media accounts. Some simply pretend to be a company hired security service asking for passwords via email or phone calls until they get one. A smaller company or self-employed business is not going to be as susceptible to this kind of attempt. They will need to remember to secure the BYOD’s they are using in the office and not be tricked by spoof attacks via email and websites.
A good dedicated server provider will have a Data Center with a secure network and DDoS protection. They should have a good uptime history so that intrusions are difficult even from the very start. Then from there, secure the server itself to prevent any security vulnerabilities. (If there is only one line of defense at the server level it will make security a little more challenging but absolutely still attainable.) Also just as important as the data being protected on the server are the backups, which require just as much protection as the data on the server. For a server security checklist, please go here: http://www.hostinganddesigns.com/Blog/?p=1200
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