Re: [gentoo-user] Protecting my server against an individual

[Alexander Skwar <listen@alexander.skwar.name>]

Trenton Adams wrote:
> I would move ssh to a very high port number of your choice.  Most ssh
> port scanners do not bother checking anything other than port 22, as
> it is too time consuming.  I have not had any weird hits on my ssh
> port in years.  It was hammered daily, even with attempted logins and
> such, with it running on port 22.  Now, pretty much nothing.  Why not
> use something like 65350 or some random high port like that?

ACK. Good idea. One more thing though: I'd not use a "strange" port
like 65350, but rather a port, which might be legitimately open.
Suppose you've got a web server and DON'T use ssl. In this case,
https (443) would be available. Or if you don't have a usenet server,
you could use 119.

Reason: It's "normal" that such ports are open. If I were a
script kiddie, I wouldn't bother looking at normally open
ports. But if there's something strange like 65350, I *would*
look.

> And yes, you probably shouldn't be asking these questions if you have
> an important linux computer on the internet.  Because if it is
> important, you should know what you are doing before you put it on the
> internet.
> 
> If on the other hand, you're just getting to know linux, and the
> computer is not all that important, then you should be asking these
> questions.

Yes, he *CERTAINLY* should be asking those questions - but he
shouldn't have a server on the internet. Reason: It might be
so, that the system is less secure than it ought to be and thus
might be already part of a botnet or somesuch. And if it were
part of a botnet, it might be used to attack other systems or
to simply relay spams.

Because of that, I find it somewhat irresponsible or at the
very least questionable, when users with not so much knowledge
operate servers. And it doesn't matter if all, if the system
is important to the OP - it matters only, if it might be used
to do things, which the OP doesn't want.


Alexander Skwar
-- 
The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and
robbers there will be.
		-- Lao Tsu
-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list