Configuration·LPIC-2
SSH hardening, and who has been trying
SSH is the one service on every machine, which makes it the one worth hardening properly. This guide reads what sshd is actually running with - including drop-in files that override the main config - compares both families, and checks the authentication logs for the failed attempts an internet-facing host collects continuously.
202: System Security Guide 14 of 29 Intermediate
- PlatformsUbuntu 26.04 LTS + AlmaLinux 10.2
- Block devicesone 50 GB disk
- TimeAbout 18 min
| Server Name | IP Address | OS | Roles | CPU | RAM | HDD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LPIC2-A01 | 192.168.0.78 | Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | Primary service host - BIND, Apache, Samba, Postfix. Topic 204 RAID runs on loop devices; this machine has no spare disk | 2 Core | 4 GB | 50 GB |
| LPIC2-B01 | 192.168.0.79 | AlmaLinux 10.2 | Second service host - nginx, NFS, DNS secondary, and the other family's spelling of each service | 2 Core | 4 GB | 50 GB |
This guide includes
Use this because SSH is the one service on every machine. This matters because a setting can come from a drop-in that is read before the main file - so the file you edited may not be the one in force.
- reading the effective configuration, rather than the file
- finding drop-ins, which are read before the main file
- finding who has been trying, from two logs and the tool the objective names
Before you start
- firewall-zones-and-what-a-scan-reveals
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The effective configuration, not the file
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Drop-ins, which are read before the main file
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Who has been trying