How to install and secure PostgreSQL on Ubuntu

PostgreSQL is prized for reliability, advanced features and standards compliance. Here is how to install it and, just as important, how to secure it on Ubuntu.

1. Install

apt-get update -y
apt-get install -y postgresql postgresql-contrib
systemctl enable --now postgresql

2. Set a password for postgres

sudo -u postgres psql

ALTER USER postgres WITH PASSWORD 'strong_password';

3. Use password authentication

In pg_hba.conf, make sure the authentication method is scram-sha-256, not trust:

local   all   all               scram-sha-256
host    all   all   127.0.0.1/32 scram-sha-256

systemctl restart postgresql

4. Keep the database local-only

In postgresql.conf, if you do not need remote access, keep:

listen_addresses = 'localhost'

Next steps

• Create dedicated users and databases: see PostgreSQL users and databases.
• Set up a regular backup on a Backup Box.

Or install it with one click

Pick PostgreSQL from the app catalog when creating the server, with an auto-generated password.