How to Protect Your Minecraft Server from Hackers and Griefers

Running a Minecraft Server is a fun thing you can do as a gamer. But you know what isn't fun? Seeing months of your work ruined by hackers or griefers. This guide will teach you how to protect your server from griefers and hackers and keep your Minecraft server safe whether it's a small survival server with your friends or a big community server.

What is Server Griefing?

Server griefing is when someone causes damage on your Minecraft server. It can be as simple as stealing from chests or as extreme as blowing up builds with TNT or lava. Griefers tend to do it for attention, to troll, or just because they can. They use hacks and bypass protection and ruin servers with low security measures. Either way, it can be really frustrating when it happens, especially if the players have worked hard on their builds.

My Experience with Server Griefing

Hi, I'm Eternal, Co-founder of Eternal Hosting, and this was my experience with Server Griefing.

A while back, I had a private survival server for me and my partner to play on. We both had operator (op) and there weren't any security plugins or backups. The server had whitelist on and was on cracked mode (online-mode set to false), and I personally thought nobody would do anything since I hadn't shared the server IP with anyone. But that was a big mistake.

There are port scanners deployed by Server Griefers that scan IPs and find vulnerable servers. Somehow one of these port scanners found my server, and a few days later, a griefer used my account name to join the server and grief everything. Since the server had online mode set to false, it meant that anyone could join using any username. So he simply logged in as me, which had access to admin commands.

When I noticed that something was wrong, it was too late. He had already griefed every build that we ever did and put lava all over. It was simply unrecoverable. I didn't have any backups either since I really didn't think this would ever happen. Me and my partner were devastated. We lost months of progress. All the memories of the server came running through my mind, and it was really sad.

How to Prevent Minecraft Server Griefing

Here's how to avoid going through what I did:

1. Whitelist Your Server

Only allow players you know and trust. It's the simplest first layer of protection. In your server console or ingame chat (if you have op) type:

/whitelist on
/whitelist add [playername]

(Don't use / if you are executing commands in the console)

Although this is very effective on non-cracked servers, this is not very useful in cracked servers since anyone can use any username on cracked Minecraft—nothing is stopping players from joining with admin accounts. But it's a good thing to keep it either way.

2. Use Anti-Grief Plugins

There are a few plugins which can enhance the safety of your server:

• GriefPrevention – Players can claim land that only they can build and interact on unless a player is given trust.
• CoreProtect – Logs every block placement and destruction so you can roll back griefing. But this plugin will take up a lot of space as it logs everything on the server, so make sure your hosting provider gives enough space for that.
• WorldGuard – Let you define regions and protect them from edits or explosions.

These server plugins are essential, even for small servers.

3. Limit Admin Privileges

Only give operator (/op) access to people you trust 100%. You can create specific permission groups with tools like LuckPerms so players only have the access they need.

4. Back Up Regularly

Make sure to backup your server daily or weekly. At Eternal Hosting, you can just set up a schedule to automatically backup your server once a day. If something goes wrong, you can roll back.

You can also use a plugin such as DrivebackupV2, which automatically backs up the server to your Google Drive, ensuring your files are safe and private.

5. Enable Logging and Monitoring

Log connections and player activities. Plugins like CoreProtect help here, but even Minecraft's default logs, which are stored in the logs folder, can help track who did what and when.

6. Keep Everything Updated

Outdated plugins or server versions are often full of exploits. Always use the latest versions and check plugin compatibility before updating. Only download plugins from trusted sites to ensure they don't have any hidden malware or backdoors in them.

7. Use a Login Security Plugin (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR CRACKED SERVERS)

Use a login security plugin such as LoginSecurity or AuthMe so whenever someone joins, they have to login to the server with a password. This ensures even if someone joins the server with your username, they can't do anything unless they login. This is highly recommended for cracked servers.

Conclusion

Griefers will always exist in one way or another. But that doesn't mean your server has to get ruined. As long as you follow proper security measures, you can keep your Minecraft server safe. Backup, be aware, and have fun.

Remember, prevention is always better than recovery. Implementing these security measures from the start will save you from the heartbreak of losing your hard work to griefers and hackers.