Fail2Ban is a powerful security tool that bridges your public-facing network services (ssh, mail server, web server, etc.) and your firewall. The Fail2Ban daemon constantly monitors your server logs, looking for troublemakers. When an intruder or suspicious activity is detected, it takes action! By default, Fail2Ban writes a temporary firewall rule that blocks the offender’s IP address on selected ports for a short period of time.
The real power in Fail2Ban, though, lies in its customizability. Using custom action scripts, admins can configure how Fail2Ban responds to threats, extending its abilities far beyond simply interfacing with the firewall. For example, you can define actions that will send an email or notification, write to a log file or database, invoke a web API, react differently in different contexts, and so on. The possibilities are unlimited!
This article explains how actions in Fail2Ban are defined and customized so that you can get the most out of Fail2Ban.
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The water swirls down the pipe, its angle of descent increasing until it tumbles over a precipice. You are buffeted backand forth, flipping over, headfirst one second, feetfirst the next. At last, dizzy and confused, you are dashed against the rocks at the bottom of the cistern.