Hosting a public Minecraft server opens up a world of possibilities, allowing you to build a community and share your unique Minecraft experience with players from around the globe. However, with increased visibility comes increased responsibility. Ensuring the safety and security of your server and its players is paramount. This guide outlines essential steps to host a public Minecraft server safely, with ExpHost offering the ideal platform for a secure and enjoyable experience.

1. Choose a Reliable Hosting Provider

The foundation of a safe public Minecraft server lies in selecting a trustworthy hosting provider. A quality host will offer robust security measures, reliable uptime, and adequate resources to handle potential threats.

ExpHost is designed from the ground up with security and performance in mind. Our infrastructure features:

  • DDoS Protection: We mitigate Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which can flood your server with malicious traffic, rendering it inaccessible.
  • Secure Infrastructure: Our servers are housed in state-of-the-art data centers with stringent security protocols, protecting your data from unauthorized access.
  • Regular Backups: We perform regular backups of your server data, ensuring that you can quickly recover from any unforeseen issues or data loss.
  • High-Performance Hardware: All our servers run on powerful hardware to provide a smooth and lag-free experience for your players.

2. Implement Strong Access Control

Limit access to your server console and files to only trusted individuals. Use strong, unique passwords for all accounts and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever possible.

With ExpHost, you can easily manage user permissions and access levels directly through our custom-built Project Echo control panel. This intuitive interface allows you to:

  • Create and manage user accounts with granular permissions.
  • Monitor user activity and identify potential security breaches.
  • Securely access your server files via our built-in file manager.

3. Install Anti-Cheat Plugins

Cheat clients can ruin the experience for legitimate players and compromise the integrity of your server. Install anti-cheat plugins to detect and prevent cheating activities.

There are numerous anti-cheat plugins available for various Minecraft server platforms (e.g., Paper, Spigot, Fabric). Research and choose plugins that best suit your needs and server environment.

4. Use a Firewall

A firewall acts as a barrier between your server and the outside world, blocking unauthorized connections and preventing malicious traffic from reaching your server.

ExpHost provides a built-in firewall that is automatically configured to protect your server from common attacks. You can also customize your firewall rules to further enhance your security.

5. Regularly Update Your Server Software

Keep your Minecraft server software (e.g., Paper, Spigot, Fabric) and all installed plugins up to date. Updates often include security patches that address vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers.

ExpHost simplifies the update process with our one-click update feature. You can easily update your server software and plugins directly from our control panel.

6. Moderate Your Server Actively

Active moderation is crucial for maintaining a safe and positive community. Appoint trusted moderators who can monitor chat, enforce rules, and address player concerns.

ExpHost's powerful tools let your moderators manage the community by easily:

  • Banning or muting problematic players.
  • Accessing server logs for troubleshooting and moderation purposes.
  • Viewing real-time server metrics for performance monitoring.

7. Enforce Clear Rules and Guidelines

Establish clear rules and guidelines for your server and communicate them to all players. This will help to prevent conflicts and ensure that everyone is aware of what is expected of them.

8. Educate Your Players

Educate your players about online safety and encourage them to report suspicious activity. Remind them to be cautious about sharing personal information and to avoid clicking on suspicious links.

9. Backups

Regular backups are absolutely vital. You should backup your server frequently in the event of an accident or malicious user interaction.

10. Protect against exploits.

Exploits can allow users to perform actions they should not, such as obtaining items illegitimately, or causing server instability. It is important to use plugins and software that patch these exploits.

11. Don't forget about your website or forums

Ensure that your server's website or forums are protected against common exploits like SQL injection or XSS.

12. Enable query-ports.

Query ports can allow users to discover your server IP through minecraft related websites and lists. Ensure it is enabled so that your server can be populated.

ExpHost makes running a safe and secure public Minecraft server easy. Our reliable infrastructure, comprehensive security measures, and intuitive control panel provide you with the tools you need to create a thriving and secure community. See our hosting plans here. Stay up-to-date with all the latest ExpHost news by visiting our news page.

ExpHost offers simple, fair, tiered pricing. Customers can choose exactly what they need between Standard (£1.50/GB) and Pro (£2.00/GB) plans, with no hidden fees or inflated costs. This transparent model lets users pick performance levels that fit their budget without paying for things they don't use.