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voidmain:
I just noticed that you are on RedHat 6.2. I was going to tell you to use iptables instead but 6.2 still used ipchains. There are a couple of firewall threads on this forum where I discussed setting up an ipchains script for the RedHat 6.2 type of setups. The newer distros use iptables and have nicer configuration utilities. My way in the old days used a custom built script. Having said that I believe webmin has an ipchains firewall configurator that will work on RedHat 6.2. You might want to download and install that.

Another thing, since you are on 6.2 it is ultra-imperative that you apply all the security updates from RedHat's Errata page. If you put a stock RedHat 6.2 box on the net it will be 0wn3d in 3.4 minutes. Of course turning off all incoming connections to the box will also prevent being 0wn3d.

I don't know if this helps but any stock operating system is vulnerable, especially when they start getting some age on them and there is a nice list of exploits built up. Keeping your system updated prevents most of this, making sure you have unnecessary services turned off will prevent more of this. Properly configured firewall will prevent even more of it. Properly configured tcp wrappers on open services will prevent even more of it. Using encrypted protocols (ssh) will prevent even more of it. But no matter how far you go you can never be 100% secure, you can be more secure than the next guy though and that's usually enough. Security is something that you need to constantly monitor and perform regular updates if you want to have less of a chance of being owned.

For the most part, only people who do not follow the above practices have a problem. Hope this helps. One of the easiest things you can do is invest in a hardware firewall and put all of your machines behind it. This will prevent most problems (if it is properly configured). And get on the CERT mailing list. You will get first hand notification of any new exploits and how to fix them.

[ November 29, 2002: Message edited by: void main ]

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