The Reality of Running a Server in 2026
I am a developer based in Ukraine running my own VPS server. Within minutes of putting a server online, automated attacks begin. This is not theory — today I found 36 failed login attempts and 3 malicious IP addresses already blocked.
What Is Fail2ban?
Fail2ban is a free open source security tool that monitors your server logs in real time. If any IP address fails to login too many times, it gets automatically banned.
What I Configured
- Maximum 3 login attempts before ban
- 1 hour ban duration
- Full SSH monitoring
Results After Day One
- 36 failed login attempts detected
- 3 malicious IPs banned automatically
- Server now protected around the clock
My Advice
If you run a server anywhere in the world, install Fail2ban immediately. It is free, takes five minutes, and works automatically forever.