Initial Server Configuration and Security Setup

Securing your VPS immediately after deployment is crucial.

Step 1: Update Your System

# For Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# For AlmaLinux/CentOS/RHEL
sudo dnf update -y

Step 2: Create a Sudo User

# Create new user (replace "youruser")
adduser youruser

# Add user to sudo/wheel group
usermod -aG sudo youruser  # Ubuntu/Debian
usermod -aG wheel youruser # AlmaLinux/CentOS/RHEL

Step 3: Harden SSH Access

First, set up Advanced SSH Security and Key Management, then edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config:

PermitRootLogin no
PasswordAuthentication no

Step 4: Configure Firewall

Set up UFW. For detailed rules, see our Firewall Configuration and Network Security with UFW.

sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw enable

Next Steps: Explore our How to Install CloudPanel v2 guide or other guides in our Application Installers category.