I came across this interesting post about how to secure your SSH without changing the SSH listening port.

Things that the post author suggested are :

1. Enforce the use of secure and hard to guess password
2. Disable login by password, use Public Key Authentication for greater security.
3. Allow SSH connection from trusted network only.
4. Implement Port Knocking – http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6811
5. Use iptables RECENT match to filter SSH scanners

Personally I’ve enabled public-key authentication and SSH scanner filter to secure my server at the advice of my friend from a local security firm. Although, I haven’t tried the port knocking method yet, it seems interesting to know that ‘secret port knocking’ pattern also exists in computer security (remember ali baba?)

Hopefully this post will serve as a reminder to myself and those who read them, ah oh, most of this post content are lifted shamelessly from False sense of security

[tags]ssh,iptables,ubuntu,debian,security, port knocking,nmap, security scanners,exploit[/tags]

http://blog.drinsama.de/erich/en/linux/2007021502-false-sense-of-security

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