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Due to my requirements changing and finding a VPS solution for only an extra euro per month compared to my current shared plan, i'm considering a switch to VPS.

My main concern is about security and difficulty level.

I'm pretty comfortable with configuring/installing software via command line. I'm just wondering about how easy it is to open up security holes in a VPS?

I would start off running mail, web and svn servers. And probably add a music service after if it was safe.

What do you guys think? Would I be stepping into the unknown here? Should I forget it or embrace the challenge :)

Thanks.

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It's very easy to open up security holes - this is done by neglecting the system administration job that comes with having a server. However; You can't be sure that the administrators of the shared solution you're on are doing all it takes either - it's always a gamble when you give the responsibility to someone else (but if you believe they're better fit than you are - it's a safe gamble).

Security holes are exposed by poor configuration, or vulnerabilities in the software. Patching vulnerabilities should be a routine thing - keeping a secure configuration requires a bit more thinking though. Insecure configuration would include running unneeded services, allowing anonymous access to services that should have access control, etc.

I think you should embrace the challenge, and come out smarter and more experienced in the end - regardless of the outcome. All real sysadmins started out this way.

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  • Hi Kvisle, You've just confirmed what I thought. I think i'll go for it. I'll run it in tandem with my shared host for a while, just in case. I should learn a lot from it I guess. I suppose another big question is: "What if" I get hacked? Cleaning the system out of any booby traps etc must be a nightmare.
    – jim
    Oct 26, 2011 at 20:51
  • It's a nightmare, and it's interesting. This is where backups come in. Back up your configuration, so you can easily reestablish from scratch - and backup your data, so you have what's even more important. Forensics, however - can be very interesting too :)
    – Kvisle
    Oct 26, 2011 at 21:09

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