How to protect CentOS servers from attacks using an intrusion prevention system (IPS)

How to use an intrusion prevention system (IPS) to protect CentOS servers from attacks

Introduction:
In today's digital era, server security is crucial. Cyberattacks and intrusions are becoming more frequent, so the need to protect servers from them is becoming increasingly urgent. An intrusion prevention system (IPS) is an important security measure that can help detect and block malicious activity and protect servers from attacks. In this article, we will learn how to configure and use IPS on CentOS servers to improve the security of the server.

Part One: Install and Configure IPS
Step One: Install IPS Software
First, we need to select and install the appropriate IPS software. Snort is a popular, open source IPS software available on CentOS. We can install Snort using the following command:

sudo yum install snort

After the installation is complete, we can start the Snort service using the following command:

sudo systemctl start snort

Step 2: Configure Snort
Once the installation is complete, we need Do some basic configuration to ensure Snort works properly. On CentOS, the Snort configuration file is located at /etc/snort/snort.conf. We can open the file with a text editor and modify the parameters as needed.

The following are some common configuration parameters and examples:

• ipvar HOME_NET any: Specify the network range that is allowed to access the server, which can be a single IP address, IP segment or subnet.
• ipvar EXTERNAL_NET any: Specify a trusted external network range for which Snort will monitor traffic.
• alert icmp any any -> $HOME_NET any (msg: "ICMP traffic detected"; sid: 10001): When ICMP traffic is detected, output an alert and Associated with SID 10001.

After completing the configuration, we can use the following command to test whether the configuration is valid:

sudo snort -T -c /etc/snort/snort.conf

Part 2: Enable IPS rules
Step 1: Download IPS rules
IPS rules are the basis for determining when an attack or unusual behavior occurs. We can download the latest rule files from the Snort official website.

The following is an example command to download the rule file:

sudo wget https://www.snort.org/downloads/community/community-rules.tar.gz
sudo tar -xvf community-rules.tar.gz -C /etc/snort/rules/

Step 2: Enable the rule set
In the Snort configuration file, we need to add the following command to load the rule set:

include $RULE_PATH /community.rules

Step 3: Restart the Snort service
Changes to the configuration file need to be restarted to take effect. We can restart the Snort service using the following command:

sudo systemctl restart snort

Part 3: Monitoring IPS Logs
Once Snort starts monitoring traffic and detects abnormal activity, it will generate a log file. We can view the log file using the following command:

sudo tail -f /var/log/snort/alert

Part 4: Optimizing IPS Performance

• Enable multi-threading: In the Snort configuration file, you can set detection by config : search-method ac-split to enable multi-threaded detection method.
• Optimize hardware: For high-performance IPS deployments, consider using more powerful servers and network adapters.

• Update rules regularly: As new threats continue to emerge, it is crucial to update IPS rules regularly. Rules can be downloaded and updated using the following command:

  sudo wget https://www.snort.org/rules/snortrules-snapshot-XXXXX.tar.gz -O snortrules-snapshot.tar.gz
  sudo tar -xvf snortrules-snapshot.tar.gz -C /etc/snort/rules/

Conclusion:
By configuring and using an intrusion prevention system (IPS), we can greatly improve the security of the CentOS server and prevent malicious Attacks and unauthorized access. However, IPS is only one part of server security, and other security measures need to be integrated to build a comprehensive defense system to ensure the security of servers and data.

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