best way to protect my servers

Bud

Right now i have a ftp that i run from home also im thinking off adding an exchange server to toy with. Whats the best way to secure them and protect them from viruses/spyware? Oh also my ftp is also my fileserver so i really want to protect it. After what happened to armo i know i gotta be careful

Shorty

You need to make sure as a minimum that ONLY allow the ports that are needed.

For Exchange, only allow SMTP (port 25). Make sure you disallow relay and run http://www.abuse.net/relay.html to confirm you are indeed NOT an open spam relay.

Same with FTP. Set only ports 20/21. Make sure you have connection limits in the FTP software. Don't have easy passwords & usernames. Make sure your router blocks pings.

That will get you started.

primesuspect

Definitely keep up on the patches from microsoft. Install Microsoft Update (instead of windows update) and run in every night.

Bud

i meant more along rhe lines of spyware/viruses, maybe firewall

Bud

i meant more along the lines of spyware/viruses, maybe firewall

DanG

For firewall, you could pick up a used PIX from ebay, they can be had relatively cheap. For AV, you need something that works with exchange, which will limit your choices a bit. I run Symantec AV 10.0 at work on the mail server, and that does the messages coming into the mail store and also does spyware. Just be vigilant with patches, you can get screwed very easily if you aren't running the current patches.

GrayFox

Bud wrote:

i meant more along the lines of spyware/viruses, maybe firewall

Sav 10 for an anti virus and tiny personal firewall for the firewall.