5 Server Security tools and resources (all free)
5 Server Security resources, picked out of 1 saved Instagram reel and 1 liked tweet, from creators like @brusnicadev, @the_smart_ape. 5 of them are free, freemium or open source.
This tip provides quick Linux shell commands to inspect authentication logs for unauthorized access attempts. Running grep on the system auth log tallies failed password attempts, while tail lets administrators watch incoming connection attempts in real time.
CrowdSec is an open-source intrusion detection and prevention system (IDS/IPS) and web application firewall that analyzes server logs and HTTP traffic. When it spots an attack, it blocks the malicious IP locally and contributes the reputation data back to a global community blocklist. This crowdsourced architecture lets participating servers preemptively block known bad actors before they ever target your infrastructure.
endlessh-go is a Go implementation of the Endlessh SSH tarpit designed to slow down automated vulnerability scanners and brute-force bots. By slowly trickling out an endless SSH banner, it traps connections for hours on your exposed SSH port while consuming minimal system memory. Unlike the original C version, it natively exports Prometheus metrics and includes a ready-to-use Grafana dashboard with GeoIP visualization.
Fail2Ban monitors system and service logs for malicious activity, such as repetitive SSH brute-force attempts. When an IP address exceeds the configured threshold of failed attempts, it dynamically updates system firewall rules (like iptables) to reject connections from that address for a set duration. It includes built-in filters for standard services like SSH and Apache and can be extended to monitor custom application logs.
A concise server-hardening walkthrough for detecting SSH brute-force attempts in system logs and blocking repeat offenders. It uses fail2ban to automatically ban malicious IPs after failed logins alongside ufw to manage firewall access. It is a quick, standard setup for protecting a public VPS.