Abstract digital network background featuring interconnected nodes labeled with Debian 11 technical terms, highlighted in pink and blue colors on a dark gradient background.
Cover page of a technical report titled "Building a Secure VPS Server Under Debian 11 ('Bullseye'): Some Notes," featuring the DomainTools logo and authored by Joe Scientist, Ph.D
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Building a Secure VPS Server Under Debian 11

Get Started in Setting Up A Functional and Secure System

Self-managed VPS (Virtual Private Servers) can make new systems inexpensive for technically skilled individuals to deploy, either for hosting a personal domain, to create a remote distributed node, or for working with DNSDB API or the Security Information Exchange (SIE) data, or other purposes. 

While you can get a Un*x VPS easily and inexpensively today, there are still a number of details necessary to bring up a functional and secure system. This report is meant to help users bring up a secure-yet-still-usable system. 

In this report, we will discuss: 

  • Basic authoritative DNS records that should be created in one’s DNS provider’s control panel
  • Bringing up sshd for encrypted remote access with public key authentication and Yubikey MFA support
  • Getting automatic patching set up
  • And much more