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SkyPress Playbook

Linux Server Hardening Playbook

46 ordered checkpoints for securing a Linux server, with every command tested on real production servers running Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04. Start with the 30-minute emergency lockdown, then work through the full checklist.

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PDF you keep forever · Free updates for life · 7-day refund · Updated October 3, 2026 — v8

Table of contents

Every checkpoint, in order.

Part 1: The 30-Minute Emergency Lockdown

  1. Update everything first
  2. Create your non-root user
  3. SSH keys — set up, test, then disable passwords
  4. Firewall — UFW, four rules
  5. fail2ban — the automatic banhammer
  6. Automatic security updates

Part 2: The Full Hardening Checklist

  1. User accounts
  2. SSH config (beyond Part 1)
  3. Firewall rules (beyond Part 1)
  4. fail2ban jails (beyond Part 1)
  5. Unattended upgrades
  6. Kernel / sysctl tweaks
  7. File permissions
  8. Exposed services audit
  9. .env / .git / config exposure
  10. HTTPS / HSTS / security headers
  11. Backups that actually restore
  12. Log monitoring
  13. Web application basics

Part 3: After the Checklist

  1. The monthly 30-minute routine
  2. Quarterly deeper checks
  3. What to do when something breaks

Appendix: Copy-Paste Reference

  1. sshd hardening config
  2. fail2ban jail.local
  3. sysctl hardening tweaks
  4. Nginx and Apache security headers
  5. UFW quick reference
  6. Verification one-liners
  7. Rollback notes
One question

Frequently asked.

Will this work on my cloud server?

Yes — and that's where most guides get it wrong. The playbook covers the cloud-image gotcha where the provider's default SSH config overrides yours (on Ubuntu cloud images, 60 beats 99 — the file needs to be 10-hardening.conf, not 99). Every command was tested on real Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 servers.

Linux Server Hardening Playbook

$19

Get it now

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