How to Perform Regular Server Audits

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  1. How to Perform Regular Server Audits

Performing regular server audits is crucial for maintaining the security, stability, and performance of your MediaWiki installation. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to conduct these audits, covering essential areas and offering practical steps for newcomers to server administration.

Why Perform Server Audits?

Server audits are systematic evaluations of your server’s configuration and operational status. They help identify vulnerabilities, performance bottlenecks, and deviations from established security best practices. Regular audits minimize risks and ensure your MediaWiki instance runs smoothly. Key benefits include:

  • Security Enhancement: Identifying and mitigating potential security threats.
  • Performance Optimization: Discovering and resolving performance issues.
  • Compliance Verification: Ensuring adherence to security policies and regulatory requirements.
  • Resource Management: Optimizing server resource utilization.
  • Proactive Problem Solving: Identifying issues before they cause disruptions.

Audit Frequency

The frequency of your server audits should depend on the sensitivity of the data your MediaWiki handles and the level of risk you’re willing to accept. Here’s a recommended schedule:

  • Monthly: Basic health checks, log reviews, user account audits.
  • Quarterly: Comprehensive security scans, software updates, performance analysis.
  • Annually: Full system review, disaster recovery testing, policy updates. See Disaster Recovery Planning for more details.

Areas to Audit

A comprehensive server audit should cover the following areas:

  • System Security: Firewall settings, intrusion detection systems, access controls. See Firewall Configuration
  • Software Updates: Operating system, web server, database server, PHP, MediaWiki.
  • User Account Management: User permissions, inactive accounts, password policies. See Managing User Accounts
  • Log Analysis: System logs, web server logs, database logs, MediaWiki logs. See Log File Analysis
  • Performance Monitoring: CPU usage, memory usage, disk I/O, network traffic.
  • Backup and Recovery: Backup schedule, backup integrity, recovery procedures. See Database Backups
  • Configuration Management: Server configuration files, MediaWiki configuration files. See LocalSettings.php Configuration


Detailed Audit Steps

Here's a breakdown of the audit steps, categorized for clarity.

1. System Security Audit

Security Check Description Tools
Firewall Review Verify firewall rules allow only necessary traffic. `iptables` (Linux), Windows Firewall
Intrusion Detection/Prevention System (IDS/IPS) Ensure IDS/IPS is active and updated with latest signatures. `Snort`, `Suricata`
Access Control Lists (ACLs) Review ACLs on critical files and directories. `ls -l`, `getfacl` (Linux)
SSH Configuration Disable root login, use key-based authentication, change default port. `sshd_config`

2. Software Update Audit

Keeping your software up-to-date is vital.

Software Update Command/Process Frequency
Operating System `apt update && apt upgrade` (Debian/Ubuntu), `yum update` (CentOS/RHEL) Quarterly
Web Server (Apache/Nginx) `apt update && apt upgrade` (Debian/Ubuntu), `yum update` (CentOS/RHEL) Quarterly
Database Server (MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL) `apt update && apt upgrade` (Debian/Ubuntu), `yum update` (CentOS/RHEL) Quarterly
PHP `apt update && apt upgrade` (Debian/Ubuntu), `yum update` (CentOS/RHEL) Quarterly
MediaWiki Manual update via Updating MediaWiki Every New Release

3. User Account Audit

Reviewing user accounts is important for security.

Audit Item Description Action
Inactive Accounts Identify accounts that haven’t been used for a specified period. Disable or delete inactive accounts. See User Rights Management
Privileged Accounts Review accounts with administrative privileges. Ensure only necessary individuals have administrative access.
Password Policies Verify password complexity requirements are enforced. Enforce strong password policies. See Password Security
User Permissions Review user groups and permissions. Remove unnecessary permissions.

4. Log Analysis

Regularly analyze logs for suspicious activity. Use tools like `grep`, `awk`, and log management software. Review logs for:

  • Failed login attempts
  • Error messages
  • Unauthorized access attempts
  • System events

5. Performance Monitoring

Monitor server resources to identify bottlenecks. Tools like `top`, `htop`, `vmstat`, and `iostat` can provide valuable insights. Also, check MediaWiki's performance using the Performance Tuning guide.

Documentation and Reporting

Document all audit findings, including identified vulnerabilities, corrective actions taken, and recommendations for improvement. Create a report summarizing the audit results and share it with relevant stakeholders. Keep a log of all audits performed for future reference. Consider also reviewing Server Security Best Practices.

Additional Resources


Intel-Based Server Configurations

Configuration Specifications Benchmark
Core i7-6700K/7700 Server 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB CPU Benchmark: 8046
Core i7-8700 Server 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB CPU Benchmark: 13124
Core i9-9900K Server 128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB CPU Benchmark: 49969
Core i9-13900 Server (64GB) 64 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD
Core i9-13900 Server (128GB) 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Server (64GB) 64 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Server (128GB) 128 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Workstation 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4000

AMD-Based Server Configurations

Configuration Specifications Benchmark
Ryzen 5 3600 Server 64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 17849
Ryzen 7 7700 Server 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2x1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 35224
Ryzen 9 5950X Server 128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 46045
Ryzen 9 7950X Server 128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 63561
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB) 128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB) 128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB) 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/1TB) 256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/4TB) 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 9454P Server 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe

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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️

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