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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Given that 443 is the standard https port I’d think you’d still have an issue with lots of hits on this port although they’ll be trying to break the wrong thing
by default. Also since both ssh and https are based on ssl it is just possible someone smart enough to actually smart enough to hack one would be smart enough to hack the other. 443 is below 1000 so is in the space commonly reserved for root level processes.
As a final note if you ever did put up a secure web service on this machine the port would conflict (unless you chose a different one for your web service).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">The question is why do you have 443 or other ports “open to the world” if they’re not actually in use on the host? Much better to turn off 443 and turn on
something random above 1000. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> ale-bounces@ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces@ale.org]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Edward Holcroft<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, February 18, 2014 8:35 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [ale] ssh brute-force<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks everyone for the useful links and comments. I decided to go with port 443 since that was already open to the world, meaning I did not need to open an additional port.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I was happy to note that enabling password logins did not stop my ssl-based logins from working on the same server. I was worried it might be an either/or scenario. Unfortunately, for the service I'm setting up I had to provide a password-based
login. I set up a restricted user for this purpose.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Will monitor things and see what kind of hits I get on that server. Hopefully the problem goes away or is significantly reduced by this. If I still see lots of hits then I guess I'll just have to go back to denyhosts which seems to do a
great job of nailing things down. Of course, I'd rather not have the hits at all.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">cheers<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">ed<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 9:37 AM, JD <<a href="mailto:jdp@algoloma.com" target="_blank">jdp@algoloma.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Securing ssh:<br>
<a href="http://blog.jdpfu.com/2011/08/23/securing-ssh-connections-and-blocking-failures" target="_blank">http://blog.jdpfu.com/2011/08/23/securing-ssh-connections-and-blocking-failures</a><br>
<br>
The short version is:<br>
* only allow key-based logins, never passwords<br>
* use denyhosts or fail2ban<br>
* change to a non-default port (any will do) - use port translation at the<br>
router to make life easier, NOT on the server itself.<br>
* do not allow direct root logins over ssh, even on the LAN.<o:p></o:p></p>
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On 02/17/2014 08:51 AM, Lightner, Jeff wrote:<br>
> The reason why changing the port drops hits to near zero even if someone is doing a port scan is that the port scan doesn't tell them the port is ssh - just that it is open. Of course doing a telnet to an open port might reveal that..<br>
><br>
> The fail2ban idea is a good one. So is using the high number but you CAN do nmap for high numbers - most people just don't. Security is all about hardening so the bad guys move on to easier targets. Nothing is really going to stop the determined folks
specifically targeting you but it will keep out most of the hit and run types and script kiddies.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">_______________________________________________<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal">-- <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Edward Holcroft | Madsen Kneppers & Associates Inc.<br>
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O (770) 446-9606 | M (770) 630-0949<o:p></o:p></p>
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