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Possible Duplicates:
Why should I firewall servers?
Why would I need a firewall if my server is well configured?

For a single web server that only listens on 22/80/443, is a firewall (iptables) really necessary? What exactly is it protecting against if there are only two properly configured services listening on three ports?

Community
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Matty
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1 Answers1

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Yes. It provides you with a buffer against incoming attacks and (which most people forget) outgoing malicious traffic, like reverse proxies, spam bots, etc., with the appropriate egress filtering, of course.

gravyface
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    I don't know... *is it really necessary?* Necessary is one of those words that as a pedant I'd say no. But are you foolish to not run one, given the protection it offers with minimal hassle in maintenance and configuration? In my opinion, yes. – Bart Silverstrim Jul 18 '11 at 14:48