How to secure exposed services on your Hostinger GPU instance

Hostinger GPU instance exposed service security requires configuring application authentication, setting up firewall rules, and limiting exposed ports. Securing open ports prevents unauthorized access to your applications, database ports, and administrative interfaces. Managing internal port safety and monitoring resource usage keeps your server environment fully protected.

Understand default security on Hostinger GPU instances

Hostinger GPU instances expose public addresses directly to the internet without adding automatic security layers. Secure Shell (SSH) access opens on a non-standard port by default on your Hostinger GPU instance. Use key-based authentication for SSH access to protect open ports from automated port scans.

Verify default application authentication

Check whether an application requires authentication before exposing it to the internet. Different application templates come with varying default security configurations.

NOTES

• InvokeAI includes no built-in access control, requiring custom authentication setup before service exposure.
• Ollama Web UI allows the first visitor to create an administrator account, so create your account immediately after exposing the service.

HTTPS and domain names on Hostinger GPU instances

hPanel does not currently offer a way to attach a domain or subdomain to a Hostinger GPU instance, whether at deployment or afterward. Your Hostinger GPU instance is accessed through its assigned IP address and port.

Exposed services also do not come with a built-in HTTPS or Transport Layer Security (TLS) option. If your application needs HTTPS, you can set up your own reverse proxy pointing to your Hostinger GPU instance IP address and manage your own TLS certificate. This setup, including renewal, is handled entirely on your end.

NOTE

• Because a Hostinger GPU instance is destroyed and redeployed with a new IP address each time, any domain mapping or reverse proxy configuration you set up does not carry over and must be reconfigured for each new instance.

Restrict access with an Uncomplicated Firewall

Install and configure Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW) to block unauthorized incoming connections on your Hostinger GPU instance.

To install and enable UFW on your Hostinger GPU instance:

1. Connect to your Hostinger GPU instance using SSH.
2. Install UFW by running sudo apt install ufw.
3. Allow the specific TCP port required by your service by running sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp.
4. Enable the firewall by running sudo ufw enable.

NOTES

• Allow only specific required TCP ports to minimize potential entry points.
• Restrict specific exposed services to trusted IP addresses using custom UFW rules.

Limit exposed ports and interfaces

Reduce your attack surface by controlling exactly which ports and interfaces are reachable from the internet:

• Expose only the specific port required by your application.
• Keep database ports, administrative control panels, and debugging interfaces unexposed to the public internet.
• If an application has both a backend Application Programming Interface (API) component and a frontend interface, expose only the frontend.

Monitor exposed Hostinger GPU instance services

After exposing a service, monitor it on an ongoing basis to catch problems early:

• Review resource usage metrics regularly to identify unexpected traffic spikes.
• Remove inactive exposed service entries through your control panel when they are no longer required.
• Check application access logs directly if you suspect unauthorized access.

Understand service management responsibilities

Hostinger provides the mechanism to expose a port from your Hostinger GPU instance to the internet. Securing the application running behind that port remains your responsibility.

NOTES

• Hostinger manages network-level port forwarding for exposed services.
• Customers manage application authentication, TLS certificates, firewall rules, and software updates.
• Contact Hostinger support if you suspect your Hostinger GPU instance environment is compromised.

Configuring application authentication, enforcing UFW firewall rules, and limiting exposed ports ensures your Hostinger GPU instance services remain secure against unauthorized access.