Securing Enterprise Infrastructure
In 2025, cloud infrastructure and public-facing databases are targeted constantly by automated brute-force attacks and vulnerability exploits. Since your ERP and web applications run on Linux, securing your underlying server OS is critical. Here are the top 10 actionable Linux server hardening tips.
1. Disable Root SSH Login and Use Key Authentication
Never allow direct login as the 'root' user over SSH. Instead, create a dedicated user with sudo access and configure SSH keys:
# /etc/ssh/sshd_config
PermitRootLogin no
PasswordAuthentication no
PubkeyAuthentication yes2. Configure a Strict Firewall (UFW)
Only keep essential ports open (e.g., 80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS, and a custom port for SSH). Block all other unused network interfaces:
sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoing
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw enable3. Install Fail2ban to Block Brute Force Attacks
Fail2ban monitors system logs and temporarily or permanently bans IP addresses that show malicious login behaviors (like failing an SSH or Odoo portal login 5 times consecutively).
4. Set Up Automatic Security Updates
Enable the unattended-upgrades package in Ubuntu/Debian to automatically download and apply critical security patches without requiring manual developer oversight.