Operational, step-by-step procedures built because I needed them first. Each one has been run in my homelab or tested in a real environment; not theoretical.
This post is part of a four-part series. Auto-updates close known vulnerabilities. Fail2ban blocks repeat offenders. SSH alerts and intrusion detection tell you what already happened. None of them stop the flood of connection attempts before they arrive. This post adds a layer in front of all of it: dropping
Turn your VPS into a server that speaks up. Learn how to receive instant SSH login alerts and detect unauthorized system changes using PAM, cron, and Ntfy.
Bots begin probing your VPS within minutes of it going online. Learn how to configure Fail2ban to automatically detect repeated SSH login failures, ban malicious IPs, and protect your server 24/7.
Learn how to automate Ubuntu VPS security updates with logging, cleanup, reboot detection, and Ntfy notifications to keep your public server protected every day.
Claude responded: Systematic command reference for diagnosing network issues in Linux.Systematic command reference for diagnosing network issues in Linux. Covers interface state, IP assignment, routing, and connectivity — in the order you actually use them when something isn't working.