Question
How to Secure a DigitalOcean Droplet Against Common Attacks?
- Posted on August 30, 2024
- DigitalOcean DropletsDroplets
Asked by Bhansali Wire Mesh
Hi,
I’m concerned about the security of my Droplet, especially with recent reports of increased cyber threats. What are the most important steps I should take to secure my Droplet against common attacks like brute force, DDoS, and malware?
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Hey there,
DigitalOcean automatically provides DDoS protection out of the box:
In addition to that DDoS protection that you get for free, you can add more layers by using a CDN like Cloudflare to help mitigate large-scale DDoS attacks.
Besides the DDoS protection, one of the first things you should do is set up SSH key authentication and disable password login. This makes it much harder for attackers to gain access to your Droplet through brute force attacks.
Next, DigitalOcean provides a cloud firewall that you can use to control access to your Droplet. Set up rules to allow only the necessary traffic (like SSH, HTTP/HTTPS) and block everything else.
Then, always keep your operating system and software packages up to date. Regular updates include security patches that protect against vulnerabilities.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade(for Ubuntu) or equivalent commands for your OS.You can also use Fail2Ban which is a tool that helps protect your server from brute force attacks. It monitors your logs for suspicious activity and automatically bans IPs that show malicious signs, like too many failed login attempts.
In case of a successful attack, having a recent backup can save you a lot of trouble. Enable automated backups or use a service like SnapShooter to regularly back up your Droplet.
Always monitor your Droplet’s activity using monitoring tools like DigitalOcean Monitoring or third-party services. If you detect anything unusual, investigate immediately.
You can also learn more about security here:
Hope that this helps and stay safe out there!
- Bobby