Secure your server and save space with a little spring cleaning

Winter is quickly approaching, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do some spring cleaning on your shared hosting account or dedicated server. After just a few months of use, your main directory can be full of all sorts of garbage needlessly taking up space, including:

• Unused CMS or script installs
• Duplicate or unused files, including pictures and videos
• Ancient backups you forgot even existed.

Of the three things listed above, CMS platforms for scripts you installed some time ago but never touched again pose a major security risk. This is because they are often outdated and thus easy for hackers to target. Even worse, the CMS or script may have never been fully configured. Anyone who visits the right page could be able to continue the installation process.

I also find cleaning out my server files makes it easier for me to find the stuff I want later on. Not only that, but it goes a long ways towards conserving disk space.

Photo | Flickr