There are many implementations of the SQL database language available on Linux and Unix-like systems. MySQL and MariaDB are two popular options for deploying relational databases in server environments. However, like most software, these tools can be security liabilities if they are configured incorrectly. This tutorial will guide you through some basic steps you can take to secure your MariaDB or MySQL databases, and ensure that they are not an open door into your VPS.

MySQL is an open-source database management system, commonly installed as part of the popular LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Python/Perl) stack. It uses a relational database and SQL (Structured Query Language) to manage its data.