Preventing Server Hacks: The Ultimate Guide to Mitigating Cyber Attacks 

ByServer Hosting Company

Preventing Server Hacks: The Ultimate Guide to Mitigating Cyber Attacks 

Here are multiple types of attacks on servers and ways to prevent them: 

1. Brute Force Attack 

 
An attacker attempts to guess a password by trying a large number of combinations. 

How to Prevent: 

  • Use strong, complex passwords (e.g., a combination of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols). 
  • Implement account lockout after a specified number of failed login attempts. 
  • Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for critical services. 
  • Implement CAPTCHA on login forms. 
  • Use tools like fail2ban to block IP addresses that attempt too many failed login attempts. 

2. Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) and Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attack 

 
A service outage occurs when an attacker overloads a server or network with traffic. 


Ways to Avoid 

  • Firewalls can be used to filter malicious traffic. 
  • Use DDoS defense tools such as AWS Shield or Cloudflare. 
  • Use IP blocking and rate limiting to detect suspicious traffic patterns.
  • To disperse traffic and lessen attacks, set up a content delivery network (CDN). 
  • To split up traffic among several servers, use load balancing. 

3. SQL Injection 


The attacker inserts harmful SQL queries into input fields to manipulate or access the database. 

How to Prevent: 

  • Use parameterized queries or prepared statements when interacting with a database. 
  • Validate and sanitize user input to prevent SQL code from being executed. 
  • Restrict database permissions to the bare minimum user’s need on a case-by-case basis. 
  • Use a WAF to protect against SQL injection attacks. 

4. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) 


An attacker injects malicious code into sites viewed by others so that it may steal cookies or session tokens.  

Prevention: 

  • Keep all user inputs sanitized and escaped before placing them in web pages. 
  • CSP(c) headers that restrict unauthorized execution of scripts should be implemented. 
  • User data should be escaped by front-end frameworks (such as React, Angular) automatically. 
  • Validate if input is not executable code. 

5. Man In the Middle (MITM) Attack 

 
An attacker stands able to intercept communications between the server and a client, which allows him to listen in on, modify, or inject data.  

How to Prevent: 

  • All communications must carry out SSL/TLS encryption (HTTPS).  
  • Implement Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) to secure the sessions.  
  • Use HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) in order to force the connection to remain secure.  
  • Have an update cycle for your SSL/TLS certificates and implement strong ciphers. 

6. Privilege Escalation 


By exploiting flaws, the attacker shifts to higher-level privileges on the server and is thus in control of critical data or system resources. 

Prevention: 

  • Apply the principle of least privilege: provide the user with minimum access to get the job done. 
  • Update and patch operating system and software regularly to fix security vulnerabilities. 
  • Use tools such as SELinux or AppArmor to restrict access to system resources. 
  • Perform regular security audits to determine if any privilege escalations are present. 
7. Session Hijacking 


An attacker steals or guesses a valid session ID to impersonate the user and access his session. 

How to Prevent: 

  • Set cookies as secure and set Secure and HttpOnly flags. 
  • Set session expiration and require re-authentication for sensitive operations. 
  • Encrypt session data with SSL or TLS. 
  • Regenerate session IDs regularly after changes in user privileges and also after login. 
8. Phishing 

 
An attacker tries to get the user to disclose valuable information, like login credentials or financial data, using fake emails or websites. 

How to Prevent:  

  • Educate users on spotting phishing emails and instruct them not to click on suspicious links. 
  • Install anti-phishing email filters and enable DMARC for email authentication. 
  • Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for key accounts to temper risk in case credentials get compromised. 
  • Ensure all websites use SSL/TLS to secure communications. 
9. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) 


An attacker tricks a user into performing unwanted actions on a site at which the user is currently authenticated.  

How to Prevent: 

  • Use anti-CSRF tokens to assess whether requests originate from trusted sources.  
  • Implement SameSite cookies to block cross-origin request.  
  • Make a user re-authenticate before performing sensitive changes. 
10. Malware/Ransomware Attack:  
 


An attacker installs malicious code on a server to encrypt files (ransomware), steal data, or cause damage. 

How to Prevent: 

  • Keep all software and operating systems updated to patch any known vulnerabilities. 
  • Have antivirus and anti-malware software scan the server at regular intervals. 
  • Implement network segmentation so critical servers are isolated. 
  • Make backup of all data that is being handled and ensure restore procedures are tested even after a ransomware attack. 
  • Restrict the use of administrative privileges for day-to-day work to limit malware exposure. 
11. Password Cracking 


Attacker employs a technique such as a dictionary or brute force attack against weak or poorly established passwords. 

What To Do: 

  • Implement high-level password requirements that must have letters, numbers, and symbols. 
  • Implement password complexity policies that require users to set secure passwords. 
  • Use a password manager to store and generate complex passwords. 
  • Do not allow passwords to be used forever; hash them whenever storing them. 
12. DNS Spoofing 

 
An attacker manipulates DNS records to redirect traffic to malicious sites. 

How to Prevent: 

  • Use DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions) to make sure that DNS records are protected against tampering. 
  • Regularly monitor DNS records to notice any changes. 
  • Allow forwarding only through trusted DNS servers. 
  • Use an encrypted DNS such as DoH or DoT. 
13. Zero-Day Attack 

 
An attacker attacks a vulnerability that is unknown to anyone or has not yet been handled by the software vendor. 

How to Prevent: 

  • Install a patch management process to keep up with the latest security patches. 
  • Run an intrusion detection system (IDS) to detect and alert on suspicious activities on the network. 
  • Perform vulnerability scans on a regular basis to uncover potential weaknesses. 
  • Perform vulnerability scans on a regular basis to uncover potential weaknesses. 
  • Implement firewalls and WAFs as layers to guard against exploitation of unpatched vulnerabilities. 
14. Social Engineering 

 
The attacker manipulates the victim to divulge confidential information or perform certain actions. 

How to Prevent: 

  • Train users on general social engineering risks and how to recognize phishing attacks. 
  • Enforce stringent authentication procedures and security questions for account recovery. 
  • Enforce email security policy and implement a zero-trust security model. 
Conclusion: 

If you understand the attacks and their working, you will be able to take the following preventives into consideration: strong passwords, regular updates, firewalls, encryption, and user education-who stands a fair chance of losing to a successful server attack. Monitoring, auditing, and multi-layer security defenses are to be maintained to protect the server infrastructure.