Securing your Windows VPS: what steps to take?

January 30, 2020

Windows VPS server is a vast space of personal, business related information, and that is the reason why extra security measurements are of a significant importance. Stolen data can be used by any purpose possible and might cause harmful consequences. In order to avoid all these inconveniences, the article will present the necessary steps, which if followed, could significantly increase the server’s security level.

 

Spyware protection

Malicious spyware can infect your server from any website you visit on the Internet. How is it dangerous and why is it important to take care of protection? The damage spyware causes is enormous – by collecting information without your permission, it can display pop-up ads, install toolbars, add links, alter home page and even more.

Windows VPS server will be protected if you use an anti-spyware – the software will detect and remove any spyware attacks as well as alert you about any possible attacks. Important note: in order to ensure the best performance of your spyware, always keep it updated.

 

Permissions

First, as your OS is installed, it will have a default administrative account – disable it and create a new account with administrative privileges. Moreover, your account name should contain the combination of random numbers and letters for it to be trust-worthy and secure.

The fact is that in order to secure a Windows VPS server, password is of the same importance as and admin account. The recommendations for a strong password are the same as creating account in any other online platform: the password should contain at least 10 characters, special characters, numbers and capital-small letters.

Finally, if you want to avoid any mishandling of the access rights, provide each user with minimum rights. Those are enough to carry out daily tasks – for this it is recommended to use Role Base Access Control or set up Group Policy.

 

Antivirus and Windows Firewall

The risk of possible threats from viruses, adware, malware and other hacking options increases drastically while carrying out daily processes, such as downloading and browsing in Windows VPS server. For this reason, the best step to take would be installing an antivirus program.

Meanwhile, enabling Windows Firewall is a crucial action – it scans all suspicious traffic and different sorts of information from the Internet, so it can detect malicious software and hackers. However, Windows Firewall is suitable for intermediate level operations only. For higher level of protection, use antivirus program.

 

Regular updates

Lastly, it is important to run a Windows update as soon as you receive a VPS, because they improve overall security, vulnerability patches, fix bugs and contribute to security in more ways. An important note to take – don‘t forget to turn on the update function in your VPS, because if it is deactivated, it is necessary to check updates manually.

Overall, Windows VPS server contains a big amount of private information that can be hacked and used in many ways. In order to avoid this, there are several ways to ensure a bigger security of your server – take every step, but don’t forget to carry out regular check-ups too.