Securing a Server in the First 45 Minutes: VPS Hardening Checklist (opens in new tab)

Whenever I set up a new VPS, I always dedicate my first 45 minutes to essential security steps. This period is a critical window to protect the server from the simplest yet most common external attacks. The moment a server goes online, it starts being scanned by bots within seconds, and systems left with default settings quickly become targets. In this guide, I'll share a fast and effective VPS hardening checklist that I've applied for years and found successful in both my side projects and c...