How to Set Up a VPS for the First Time: A Clean Guide

You just bought a shiny new VPS. You got an IP address, a root username, and a random password emailed to you. Logging in as root and dumping your code immediately is the fastest way to get your server hijacked by botnets within 2 hours. Let’s do it the right way instead. Here is a step-by-step walkthrough to get your virtual server up, running, and hardened against common security threats. Why your default VPS configuration is an accident waiting to happen Setting up a VPS for the first time re