Self-hosted LMS systems offer the ultimate in flexibility for businesses looking to build bespoke employee training programs. However, they do come with some notable downsides. One of them is that they can be appealing targets for cybercriminals. The reason is simple. Self-hosted platforms often leave security to the organization hosting them. The problem is that many businesses assume that any LMS they choose will come already hardened against attack. However, that's rarely the case. The good news is that keeping your self-hosted LMS secure isn't as difficult as it may seem. Here are a few simple steps to help you do it.
Choose the Right Hosting Method
Before you try to get your new LMS up and running, your first task is deciding how and where to host it. If your business already has a significant on-site network infrastructure footprint, a standalone physical server may be ideal. In that scenario, you could defend your new LMS in part by using your business network's preexisting cybersecurity hardware, software, and policies.
If your business already relies on cloud-based infrastructure, on-site hosting is likely a poor fit. Instead, the best option is usually to host your LMS with your primary existing cloud provider. That arrangement offers similar benefits to the on-site scenario above, including familiarity with the cloud provider and the ability to adapt existing security measures.
However, if none of your business's existing cloud providers are a good fit, you can select a new one that is. Many self-hosted LMS platforms offer plug-and-play cloud-based versions. Many can even manage cybersecurity for you, for an added fee.
Limit the Attack Surface
The next step in defending your self-hosted LMS from external threats is to limit its exposure to the open internet. If you intend to use your LMS for internal training, your best bet is to block all external access to your system. That assumes, of course, that you don't need to let employees access training materials from outside your business network. If you do, however, there are some simple ways to provide that access safely, using one of the following methods.
Deploy Your LMS Behind a Reverse Proxy
A reverse proxy is a web server configured to forward requests from the open internet to an internally hosted service. Using one can prevent an attacker from exploiting vulnerabilities in your LMS. If you want total flexibility, you can configure either an Apache or Nginx web server for the task. As open-source software, neither will add to your deployment budget, but will require some technical expertise.
If you want a more straightforward solution, Nginx Proxy Manager or Caddy may be a good fit. The former features a simple graphical interface that makes configuration easy. The latter, while lacking a built-in GUI, offers ample documentation to make configuration possible with little difficulty. Notably, both can even automate SSL certificate provisioning and renewal, ensuring that all connections use strong encryption.
Require a VPN for Access
Another way to provide secure remote access to your internal LMS is to require the use of a VPN. The simplest way to do it is to partner with a commercial VPN provider that offers a business-focused product. The best VPN options for that purpose act as a secure middleman, brokering access to your business network. For a simple self-hosted solution, you might instead choose something like WireGuard Portal. It offers straightforward configuration options, but it will add another application to your deployment stack to worry about.
Use an SSO Provider With 2FA
Another step to protect your self-hosted LMS instance is to integrate a single sign-on (SSO) provider that supports two-factor authentication (2FA). Most current LMS solutions support providers that conform to the SAML 2.0 or OAuth 2.0 standards. An SSO provider lets you avoid using your LMS's built-in authentication system. Those are frequent targets of hackers because they are easy to misconfigure.
An SSO provider that supports 2FA further bolsters security by letting you require a time-limited code for each sign-on. You can set the system to send a code via text message to a registered user's device or to an authenticator app. Some SSO providers also support passkeys, which use the user's device and stored biometric data to control access. Critically, the use of 2FA or passkeys can dramatically curtail the threat presented by phishing attacks. Those are one of the primary attack vectors hackers use to gain access to protected systems.
Make Credential Pruning Part of Your Offboarding Process
Finally, you should recognize that credential creep is one of the biggest cybersecurity threats your LMS will face. That refers to user credentials remaining in the system long after an employee no longer needs them. To prevent that, you should add a credential pruning process to your LMS offboarding routine. Whenever an employee completes training or leaves your company, you should remove their access credentials from your system. That helps ensure that attackers can't use those credentials to access your system. Pruning your user credentials also reduces the odds that an attacker can successfully use a credential stuffing attack against your LMS.
Safe and Secure Training
Although there's no such thing as a perfect defense in cybersecurity, the tactics above should keep your self-hosted LMS safe from external threats. Bypassing the protection they provide would be extremely difficult. In most cases, that alone would force a would-be attacker to move on to an easier target. However, it's essential to remain vigilant in monitoring your systems anyway. That way, your employees can complete their training, and you can remain certain that your LMS remains safe from harm.
Post Comment
Be the first to post comment!
