You should secure a VPS immediately after provisioning. This is one of the most important steps for service stability and abuse prevention.
- Change the default password immediately.
- Install updates and security patches.
- Create a non-root administrative user where suitable.
- Use SSH keys and disable password login where practical.
- Configure a firewall and only open needed ports.
- Remove unused services and sample software.
- Install fail2ban, anti-malware, or other relevant protective tools.
