What Is Network Server Security?

Network server security is the collection of practices, tools, and measures that organizations take to protect their digital network servers from threats and vulnerabilities. As the workhorses of modern IT infrastructure, servers are frequently the target of cybercriminals because they are foundational to maintaining a digital presence in today’s digital-first world, and contain a great deal of sensitive data and confidential business information. Servers also are indispensable to business operations — they enable users to access resources, applications, and functionality that are essential to moving the business forward. Any attack that takes down or hinders the performance of servers will inevitably hurt productivity, service availability, and the bottom line. It’s no wonder that server security has become a critical priority for IT teams in organizations large and small.

Implementing strong server security provides organizations with numerous benefits.

• Securing sensitive data. Superior server security prevents threat actors from accessing, stealing, or manipulating sensitive data like financial records, intellectual property, and the personal information of users, customers, and employees.
• Preventing downtime. Because attacks, such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, on servers can cause systemwide outages and significant business disruption, server security is essential for preventing downtime and ensuring business continuity.
• Protecting reputation. Data breaches and security incidents inevitably lead to a loss of trust from customers and partners. Strong server security can help to prevent headline-generating cyberattacks and protect an organization’s business reputation.
• Ensuring compliance. For organizations subject to regulatory requirements like HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR, server security helps to avoid the steep fines and legal penalties that often result from a data breach or security incident.
• Mitigating cyberthreats. Server security is a frontline defense against a wide range of cyberattacks, including malware, phishing, DDoS attacks, and brute-force attacks.
• Saving money. Protecting servers can help organizations avoid the direct cost of financial fraud as well as the indirect costs involved in cyberattacks — including the cost of incident response, mitigation, regulatory fines, legal fees, and potential loss of business.

Servers reside at the heart of an organization’s IT infrastructure, providing data and functionality to large numbers of users and systems. This makes them a primary target for threat actors seeking to steal data and money, cause disruption, or access IT environments to launch cyberattacks.

Threats to server security include security issues and vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit, as well as cyberattacks that threat actors direct at an organization’s servers.

Common server vulnerabilities include:

• Unpatched software: Failure to apply the latest security patches and updates can leave servers exposed to known vulnerabilities.
• Weak authentication: Inadequate authentication mechanisms, such as weak passwords or outdated authentication protocols, increase the risk of unauthorized access.
• Misconfigured servers: When system administrators incorrectly configure servers, they may inadvertently create security holes by leaving network ports open and improperly setting permissions. Using default configurations and credentials can also leave servers vulnerable to automated attacks.
• Outdated operating systems: Using obsolete or unsupported operating systems that no longer receive security updates can lead to significant security risks that attackers may exploit.
• Lack of encryption: Failure to use encryption protocols like SSL/TLS for data transmission may allow hackers to intercept and steal sensitive information.
• Poor access control: Inadequate policies governing access to servers may allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive areas and data.

Common cyberattacks that threaten server security include:

• Vulnerability exploits: Attackers frequently use automated techniques to take advantage of known security vulnerabilities in security software or operating systems. Zero-day exploits target newly discovered vulnerabilities that have not yet been patched.
• Malware: Attackers frequently load malicious software onto servers to compromise systems, disrupt services, or steal data.
• DDoS attacks: These attacks use a network of thousands of infected devices or computers known as bots to overwhelm servers with excessive traffic. This exhausts server resources and causes servers to slow down or crash, preventing them from serving legitimate traffic and users.
• Ransomware: This type of malware encrypts data on servers to prevent users and other servers from accessing it. Attackers then demand a ransom in exchange for decryption keys to restore access.
• SQL injection: These attacks insert malicious data or SQL queries into input fields to manipulate or steal data from databases.
• Cross-site scripting (XSS): XSS attacks inject malicious scripts into web pages, allowing attackers to compromise user accounts and steal data.
• Insider threats: Malicious actions by authorized users inside an organization can compromise server security.

IT teams can take a number of steps and implement server security best practices to mitigate threats to server security.

• Regularly update and patch servers: Adopting an optimal cadence for patch management ensures all server software and operating systems (e.g., Windows, Linux, Mac) are kept up to date with the latest security patches to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
• Implement strong authentication mechanisms: Using multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security. IT teams can also improve authentication by enforcing the use of strong passwords, changing them regularly, and implementing password manager tools to help users create and store strong, unique passwords.
• Configure firewalls and access controls: Firewalls monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic to identify and block potential threats. Strict access control policies ensure only authorized personnel have access to critical systems and sensitive data. A relatively easy but highly effective method is to use an edge-based network cloud firewall that can rapidly and centrally block malicious traffic before such traffic hits other firewalls or defenses. This is particularly helpful in the event of a zero-day vulnerability attack. 
• Use encryption for data transmission: To ensure secure connections, teams can implement SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) technology to encrypt data during transmission. Using virtual private networks (VPNs) secures remote access connections.
• Secure remote access: To achieve safe remote connections, teams can switch from insecure remote access methods like Telnet to SSH (Secure Shell) technologies and restrict remote access to trusted IP addresses and networks.
• Minimize the attack surface: Disabling unnecessary services and closing unused network ports help minimize potential attack vectors. Regularly reviewing and removing outdated or unused software and services can also reduce the attack surface.
• Implement regular security audits and monitoring: Regular audits of server logs help IT teams detect and respond to suspicious activities. Intrusion detection systems (IDS) help monitor and alert on potential security incidents.
• Conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing: Regularly scanning for security vulnerabilities and conducting pen tests help identify and address potential weaknesses.
• Strengthen physical security: Data centers and server rooms must have robust physical security measures such as access controls, surveillance cameras, and secure entry points.
• Educate and train staff: Providing ongoing cybersecurity training helps staff recognize and respond to threats like phishing and social engineering attacks.
• Back up data regularly: Implementing a comprehensive backup strategy ensures that critical data can be restored in the event of data loss or a ransomware attack on servers.
• Implement endpoint security solutions: Deploying antivirus software and endpoint protection solutions, and regularly updating and patching endpoints, safeguard against malware and other threats.
• Use network segmentation: Narrowly segmenting networks and critical workloads limits the spread of attacks and contains potential breaches.
• Enable secure configurations: IT teams must ensure that server configurations follow security best practices and guidelines, such as the CIS Benchmarks. Regular reviews and updates to configurations help maintain the highest levels of security.
• Monitor and respond to threats: Continuous monitoring and auditing of server logs helps teams uncover unusual activities and potential security incidents early. Developing and maintaining an incident response plan enables teams to quickly and effectively respond to security breaches.
• Implement role-based access control (RBAC): Assigning access permissions based on roles and responsibilities minimizes unauthorized access.
• Secure server hardware: Physically securing servers with locks and access controls ensures server hardware is protected from physical tampering.