VPS hardening checklist: secure a new Linux server in 15 minutes
A practical checklist for a new Linux VPS: SSH keys, a non-root user, firewall, automatic updates and backups, with the commands.
Read more →Updated 2026-11-11 · Published by AnonVPS
1. Create a key on your own computer
On your computer (not the server)
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "my-vps"
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub2. Install the key on the server
From your computer
ssh-copy-id admin@YOUR-SERVER-IP
ssh admin@YOUR-SERVER-IP3. Turn off passwords and root login
Test that key login works in a second terminal before you close the first one.
Harden sshd
sudo tee /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/99-hardening.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
PasswordAuthentication no
PermitRootLogin no
KbdInteractiveAuthentication no
EOF
sudo sshd -t && sudo systemctl reload ssh4. Install fail2ban
Install and enable
sudo apt install -y fail2ban
sudo tee /etc/fail2ban/jail.d/sshd.local >/dev/null <<'EOF'
[sshd]
enabled = true
maxretry = 5
findtime = 10m
bantime = 1h
EOF
sudo systemctl enable --now fail2ban
sudo fail2ban-client status sshd5. Check
Continue with the hardening checklist.
Useful commands
sudo journalctl -u ssh -n 20 --no-pager
sudo fail2ban-client status sshd
sudo ufw statusFAQ
Common questions
Should I change the SSH port?
It reduces noise but is not security. Keys and fail2ban matter more.
What if I lock myself out?
Use the in-browser console from your order page to fix the config.
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