How to Secure a Bare-Metal Server

A bare-metal server is fully yours, which means its security is fully your job. There is no provider-managed layer to hide behind, so the hardening checklist is non-negotiable from day one.

The fundamentals are the same as any server: close the attack surface, control access, and watch for intrusion. Doing them in the first hour prevents most of the problems you will otherwise chase later.

• Disable password login and use SSH keys only
• Configure a host firewall with a default-deny policy
• Keep the OS and packages patched on a schedule
• Enable logging and intrusion detection early

Treat security as part of provisioning, not a follow-up task.