Tag: Firewall

What is cPanel? 

cPanel is a server control panel which allows users the ability to access and automate our Cloud Dedicated, VPS, and  Dedicated server tasks and, provides the tools needed to manage the overall server, their applications, and websites.  Some features include the capability to modify php versions, creating individual cPanel accounts, adding FTP users, installing SSL’s, configuring security settings, and installing packages to name a few. cPanel and WHM have a vast range of customizations and configurations that can be completed to further personalize your platform specifically for your needs.  It also includes 24/7 support from cPanel as well.

What is a Firewall?

Broadly speaking, a firewall is part of a network or server that is designed to restrict potentially malicious and unauthorized access to the hardware while still allowing outward communication from the network or server. 

What is Puppet?

Puppet is an intuitive, task-controlling software which provides a straightforward method to manage Linux and Windows server functions from a central master server. It can perform administrative work across a wide array of systems that are primarily defined by a “manifest” file, for the group or type of server(s) being controlled.

This guide will walk you through the steps for setting up a firewall using iptables in an Ubuntu VPS server. We’ll show you some common commands for manipulating the firewall, and teach you how to create your own rules.

After spinning up a new Ubuntu VPS server you may find yourself looking for a guide of what to do next.  Many times the default setting do not provide the top security that your server should have. Throughout this article, we provide you security tips and pose questions to help determine the best kind of setup for your environment.

Our last article on Ubuntu security suggestions touched on the importance of passwords, user roles, console security, and firewalls. We continue with our last article and while the recommendations below are not unique to Ubuntu specifically (nearly all discussed are considered best practice for any Linux VPS server or dedicated server) but they should be an important consideration in securing your server.

Thank you for taking the time to review this important information. You will find this guide broken down into six major sections that coincide with Ubuntu’s security policy guide. The major topics we talk on throughout these articles are as follows:

How Do I Get Back Into RDP?

You may be working from a local machine that has an IP that is not scoped on that RDP port, making it impossible for you to gain remote access to add the IP address to the RDP rule’s scope. Do not fret; there is a simple and quick way to add your IP to the RDP scoping (or any other entities such as MySQL or MSSQL) right through your Plesk interface in your local browser. You can watch this video, or scroll down for step-by-step directions.

What is FTP?

You or your developer may want to have access via FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to the folders for the project or domain that is being worked on. FTP is a quick and easy way for someone to connect to their project, without having to have full access to RDP into the server. An FTP user will only have access to the folders that are designated to them, limiting them in their own environment so as not to accidentally change other user’s files and file structure on their project/domain. In this tutorial, we will cover how to utilize FTP on a Core/Self-Managed Dedicated server or a VPS server, as well as a Plesk Server.  Let’s jump right in!

A firewall is a program installed on your computer or a piece of hardware that uses a rule set to block or allow access to a computer, server or network. It separates your internal network from the external network (the Internet).