Security Vulnerabilities Closure Guide for Corporate Hosting

Introduction

In today's world, corporate hosting plays a crucial role in closing security vulnerabilities. Especially DDoS attacks, web application firewalls (WAF), and firewall configurations are essential elements to ensure server security. In this article, we will examine how to effectively set up these elements and close existing security gaps step by step.

1. Issue Detection

First and foremost, you should use some commands to find potential issues on your server. These commands will help you evaluate your system resources and current state. You can start by running the following commands in the terminal:

• top - Displays your system resources in real-time.
• htop - An advanced version with better visualization. (Installation: sudo apt install htop)
• dmesg - Allows you to detect system errors by displaying kernel messages.

2. Firewall Setup

The first step for your server security is to configure the correct firewall. You can install UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) by following these steps:

• sudo apt install ufw - Install UFW.
• sudo ufw allow 22/tcp - Open the SSH port.
• sudo ufw allow 80/tcp - Open the HTTP port.
• sudo ufw allow 443/tcp - Open the HTTPS port.
• sudo ufw enable - Enable UFW.

3. Providing DDoS Protection

To protect against DDoS attacks, it’s a good idea to start by installing fail2ban. This will block IP addresses that have too many failed login attempts within a certain period:

• sudo apt install fail2ban - Install Fail2ban.
• Edit the configuration file: sudo nano /etc/fail2ban/jail.local
• Add the following lines:

[sshd] 
 enabled = true 
 maxretry = 5 
 bantime = 600

Then restart the service:

• sudo systemctl restart fail2ban

4. WAF (Web Application Firewall) Setup

Installing a WAF to protect your web applications is also necessary. ModSecurity is a popular WAF solution:

• sudo apt install libapache2-mod-security2 - Install ModSecurity.
• Activate the module: sudo a2enmod security2
• After installation, edit the configuration file: sudo nano /etc/modsecurity/modsecurity.conf
• Find the line SecRuleEngine On and set it to On.
• Then restart the Apache service:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

5. Firewall and WAF Check

Finally, test your firewall and WAF configurations to ensure you have closed security gaps:

• To check the firewall status: sudo ufw status
• To check ModSecurity status: sudo cat /var/log/apache2/modsec_audit.log

Conclusion

Closing security vulnerabilities in corporate hosting environments is an ongoing process. By following the steps outlined above, you can significantly enhance your server’s security and protect against potential threats. Remember, security is not a one-time task but requires continuous attention and updates.