Tools for CodingCREW members. Below you will find links to tools and software that will help you in the field. Before use make sure you know how to use these tools.
If In Doubt – ASK! Use the tools found on these pages at your own risk!
OPERATING SYSTEMS
CentOS
Our Favorite Linux Distro
Ubuntu
Our 2nd favorite Linux Distro
DistroWatch.com
The place to find out about the latest Linux distros. If it’s hot it’s listed here.
ADMINISTRATION TOOLS
WEBMIN
LAMP server administration package
VIRTUALMIN
Virtual server administration package.
DATABASE TOOLS
phpMyAdmin
Great Package for administratrion of MySQL databases. Good GUI and functionality.
There are some security issues with phpMyAdmin but with proper installation and security, this package proves to be the best available that we have located to date.
MySQL
Database package that we highly recommend.
Other Database Admin Tools
PROCESS / MONITORING TOOLS
HTOP
Interactive Linux Process Tool
This tool is hands down 100% better than standard “TOP”
HTOP is the #1 Interactive Process Tool that the CodingCREW uses on ALL Linux Installations
ATOP
Another Process Tool for Linux
MultiTail
MultiaTail Wikipedia
One of the coolest tools for monitoring the logs in real time form the command line.
MultiTail is a standard installation on ALL CodingCREW Linux boxes. We use this tool time and time again for monitoring logs.
SECURITY TOOLS
Fail2Ban
Fail2Ban Wikipedia
Bans IP’s that make to many errors and have to many password failures on your server.
This package is great. You can find predefined rules and jails on the Internet or you can write your own. We use this package on all CodingCREW servers facing the internet.
DenyHosts
DenyHosts Wikipedia
Prevent SSH attacks on your Linux box.
This package is good, but limited in the number of services it can control and how it works. Many CodingCREW server installs run this package in concert with other security tools.
SSHBlack
“Automatic Blacklist SSH attackers”
IDS SOFTWARE
AIDE
“Advanced Intrusion Detection Environemt”
A replacement for “TripWire” that the author says exceeds the limitations of “TripWire”. For those looking for TripWire, it has gone commercial and is now offered here.
AFICK
“Another File Integrity Checker”
A security tool similar to the now commercial “TripWire”
OSSEC
OSSEC Wikipedia
Host Based Intrusion Detection system
EDITING TOOLS
WEB SOFTWARE
WordPress
#1 Blog and Content Management Software
Crafty Syntax
Live Help Package
OpenGoo
Great Task Manager
phpBB
Good Forum Software
Make sure you keep your phpBB installation up to date with security patches and revisions to protect your installation.
eTICKET
Web based ticketing system
AWStats
Great web statistical software
Fail2Ban
Fail2Ban rocks – it is a great package. On CentOS you can YUM this package in and with only basic changes to the conf file you can be up and running in minutes.
The standard Fail2Ban install comes with sample jails all ready set up for you. Searching on the Internet yields many custom jails authored by others to further increase the capabilities above and beyond the standard install.
Remember some installs of Apache do not support TCP Wrappers, so when you are enabling jails make sure that you read the descriptions and fully understand what the jail is doing. Remember to point the jail to monitor the correct log, different distros handle logs differently and place them in different locations.
The great thing about fail2ban is that you can monitor both error logs as well as access logs and your rules can apply equally to either.
We have authored many custom rules that we use to monitor access logs for bad guys seeking to find a way into our boxes.
When it comes to security we do not discriminate we block anyone and everyone that is attempting to do bad things.
If In Doubt – ASK! Use the tools found on these pages at your own risk!