How to Set Up Fail2Ban on a VPS

Fail2Ban is a powerful tool that protects your VPS from brute-force attacks via SSH, FTP, mail, and web services. It blocks IP addresses that show suspicious login behavior.

Installing Fail2Ban

For most systems, install with one command:

sudo apt install fail2ban

For CentOS/AlmaLinux:

sudo dnf install fail2ban

Basic Configuration

Create a config file:

sudo cp /etc/fail2ban/jail.conf /etc/fail2ban/jail.local

Edit it with:

sudo nano /etc/fail2ban/jail.local

Recommended parameters:

• bantime = 3600 — how long the IP is banned (in seconds)
• findtime = 600 — time window for failed attempts
• maxretry = 3 — number of attempts before banning

SSH Protection

Make sure the [sshd] section is enabled (enabled = true).

Start and Enable Fail2Ban

sudo systemctl enable fail2ban
sudo systemctl start fail2ban

Check Status

sudo fail2ban-client status
sudo fail2ban-client status sshd

Bit.Hosting Recommendations

• Don’t block your own IP — add it to ignoreip;
• Install Fail2Ban right after deploying your server;
• Regularly review logs at /var/log/fail2ban.log.

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