Initial/Basic Server Setup:

If you have a new server, we'll setup and configure the server completely from scratch to get the server ready for your use!
The initial/basic server setup includes securing the server including /tmp, optimizing the server performance including various module optimization such as Mysql, apache, ftp etc; securing the email servers with antivirus and spam filter rules. The details are as follows:

• 3rd party software:
  SIM - (System Integrity Monitor) - SIM is a system and services monitor for `SysVinit` systems. It is designed to be intuitive and modular in nature, and to provide a clean and informative status system. It does this by consistently verifying that services are online, load averages are in check, and log files are at reasonable sizes.
  SPRI - (System Priority) - SPRI (System Priority) is a utility designed to queue different processes with different priority levels based on 3 class levels of importance (high,med,low).
  The average load level of a server can be substantially decreased by using spri, by as much as 5-20%.
  PRM - (Process Resource Monitor) - PRM monitors the process table on a given system and matches process id's with set resource limits in the config file or per-process based rules. Process id's that match or exceed the set limits are logged and killed; includes e-mail alerts, kernel logging routine and more...
  BFD - (Brute Force Detection) - BFD is a modular shell script for parsing applicable logs and checking for authentication failures. It works in conjunction with a firewall (APF recommended) or real-time facility to place bans on the brute forced attacking IP's/hosts.
  LES - (Linux Environment Security) - Linux Environment Security is intended as a facility to quickly & easily secure Red Hat/RPM based environments (i.e.: turbo Linux, open Linux). It does such by enforcing root-only permissions on system binaries (binaries that have no place being executed by normal users), enforcing root-only path traversal on system paths, enforcing immutable bit on essential rpm package contents (i.e.: coreutils), and enforcing immutable bit on shell profile scripts.
• Email Security:
  Exiscan with Clam-Antivirus - Clam AntiVirus is an anti-virus toolkit for Linux servers. The main purpose of this software is the integration with mail servers (attachment scanning). The package provides a flexible and scalable multi-threaded daemon, a command line scanner, and a tool for automatic updating via Internet.
  Mail Header patch - Identifies root cause of spam send though user nobody.
• Temporary Space Hardening:
  /tmp & /var/tmp hardening – Enforce noexec & nosuid on temporary directories such as /tmp and /var/tmp secures the server from malicious scripts being executed from /tmp directories.
  /dev/shm hardening – Hardening /dev/shm prevents hackers executing malicious scripts from the directories.
  /proc securing - Securing and hardening /proc to prevent execution of malicious content from them.
• Apache & Mysql Optimization:
  Optimize MySQL & Apache - Optimize MySQL & Apache as per the hardwares ability shows significant increase in their performance for shared servers.
  Apache security : Secure Apache tweaks apache for better performance, and prevent unnecessary information from being easily seen securing Apache reduces the threat from attackers and avoid their hack attempts to the server.
  MyTOP - A tool similar to top command useful for monitoring MySQL threads and processes.
• System hardening:
  Host.conf hardening – Hardening Host.conf prevents IP spoofing and DNS poisoning and spoofing.
  SSH server hardening – Ensures that SSH is run only on secure protocols and avoids SSH security threats.
  Firewall Installation – APF along with anti-dos rulesets is a policy based iptables firewall system designed for ease of use and configuration. It employs a subset of features to satisfy the veteran Linux user and the novice. Alternative firewall CSF installed on request.
  TCP/IP hardening – Prevents DDOS and SYN-Flood attacks.
  Libsafe - Libsafe prevents buffer overflows and scans for exploitable software and notifies the client daily if any is found.
• Miscellaneous Hardening and Tweaks:
  OS Optimization – Increases the OS performance and tweaks it for load reduction.
  Disabling Unused Services – Unused services are disabled and hence prevent them from being exploited by hackers and intruders.
  Remove unused software & services – Removal of unneeded software minimizes the possible exploits and reduces the use of resources used by them on the server.
  Suphp installation: Enabling suphp on the server enables to have every php script run under the respective users ownership and avoiding the necessity to chmod any files or folders to 777. Thus making the security stronger as intruders wont be able to upload malicious content to any writable folder.
  eAccelerator and Zend Optimizer Installation – Accelerates the PHP scripts execution and decreases page loading times by caching php scripts in a compile state.
• Logging:
  CHKRootKIt – Chkrootkit is a tool to locally check for signs of a rootkit. It contains:
  * chkrootkit: a shell script that checks system binaries for rootkit modification.
  * ifpromisc.c: checks if the network interface is in promiscuous mode.
  * chklastlog.c: checks for lastlog deletions.
  * chkwtmp.c: checks for wtmp deletions.
  * chkproc.c: checks for signs of LKM trojans.
  * chkdirs.c: checks for signs of LKM trojans.
  * strings.c: quick and dirty strings replacement.
  * chkutmp.c: checks for utmp deletions.
  It scans once a day and emails the client if any suspicious scripts are found.
  Logwatch Report – Logwatch is a customizable log analysis system. Logwatch parses through your system's logs for a given period of time and creates a report analyzing areas that you specify, in as much detail as you require.
• Mod_Security - Harden server security by adding an additonal layer of security to your server.
• Mod_Evasive - mod_evasive is an evasive maneuvers module for Apache to provide evasive action in the event of an HTTP DoS or DDoS attack or brute force attack.
• PHP Security - Potentially harmful PHP functions are disabled on the server.
• Spamassassin rulesets and Spam Protection - Filtering internet spam with the help of popular and commonly used RBL lists.
• Securing from mail dictionary attack - A tweak for whm/cpanel server that detects and blocks incoming dictionary attacks targetted towards your server.
• Smartd - smartd is a daemon that monitors the Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) system built into many ATA-3 and later ATA, IDE and SCSI-3 hard drives. The purpose of SMART is to monitor the reliability of the hard drive and predict drive failures, and to carry out different types of drive self-tests.
• LSM (Linux Socket Monitor) - LSM is a network socket monitor. It is designed to track changes to Network sockets and Unix domain sockets.
• Lynis - Lynis is an auditing tool for FreeBSD. It scans the system configuration and creates an overview of information usable by professional auditors.
• Rootkit Hunter - Rootkit scanner is scanning tool to ensure you for about 99.9%* you're clean of nasty tools. This tool scans for rootkits, backdoors and local exploits by running various tests.
• 24x7x365 Server monitoring with instant reboots: Once signed up, your server is added to our monitoring software which keeps a track of your server load and services precisely at 3 minute monitoring interval. If your server goes down, our technicians contact your datacenter to get it rebooted (provided you have given us the access to contact your datacenter support).