7 CIS Security Best Practices I Apply on Every Linux Server I Set Up | by Faruk Ahmed | Jun, 2025
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Faruk @cyberwebpen

About: InfoSec Analyst | 10+ yrs in DLP, CrowdStrike, QRadar, Qualys, Linux Admin, WebLogic Admin | Python & Bash Enthusiast | Passionate about cybersecurity, automation, and continuous learning.

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7 CIS Security Best Practices I Apply on Every Linux Server I Set Up | by Faruk Ahmed | Jun, 2025

Publish Date: Jun 13
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7 CIS Security Best Practices I Apply on Every Linux Server I Set Up

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Intro: CIS Benchmarks are like a checklist for hardening your Linux servers against the most common threats. These best practices aren’t just for compliance — they’re battle-tested techniques that have saved me from misconfigurations, attacks, and downtime. Here are 7 steps I take every time I spin up a new Ubuntu or Red Hat server.

1. 🔐 Disable Root Login via SSH

Why: Root login over SSH is a major target for brute-force attacks.

✅ How:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config# Set this:PermitRootLogin no
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sudo systemctl restart sshd
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2. 🧱 Enable and Configure a Host Firewall

Why: Only allow what’s needed, and block everything else by default.

✅ Ubuntu:

sudo ufw default deny incomingsudo ufw default allow outgoingsudo ufw allow OpenSSHsudo ufw enable
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✅ Red Hat:

sudo firewall-cmd --set-default-zone=dropsudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=sshsudo firewall-cmd --reload
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3. 🔍 Install and Configure Auditd

👉 Read Full Blog on Medium Here

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