[ale] ssh brute-force

[Edward Holcroft]

All,

I have a server that I had to open to the world for ssh. It's getting a lot
of brute-force hits, although I've managed to bring it down to an
"acceptable" level by using a suitable level of paranoia in denyhosts.
Obviously I'd rather not have these hits at all.

I often hear the suggestion made that I should be using a non-standard port
for ssh to reduce such attacks. I wonder though what the real value of this
would be, since would a portscan not reveal the open port to would-be
hackers anyway?

I've heard it said that unwanted ssh hits have been reduced to zero by
changing the port from 22 to something else. Of course I can test the
hypothesis by simply changing the port, but I'd like to hear some opinions
on this question before doing so.

ed

-- 
Edward Holcroft | Madsen Kneppers & Associates Inc.
11695 Johns Creek Parkway, Suite 250 | Johns Creek, GA 30097
O (770) 446-9606 | M (770) 630-0949

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