Denyhosts vs SSHGuard

Struggling to choose between Denyhosts and SSHGuard? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Denyhosts is a Security & Privacy solution with tags like ssh, security, authentication, ip-blocking.

It boasts features such as Blocks IP addresses that make too many failed SSH login attempts, Adds blocked IP addresses to /etc/hosts.deny file, Open source program written in Python, Works on Linux and Unix-based systems, Configurable thresholds for blocking IPs, Whitelist to prevent blocking valid users, Daemon mode for continuous monitoring, Email alerts when IPs are blocked and pros including Easy to install and configure, Effective at preventing brute force SSH attacks, Lightweight and low resource usage, Automatically blocks attackers without admin intervention, Open source with active development community.

On the other hand, SSHGuard is a Security & Privacy product tagged with ssh, linux, bsd, firewall.

Its standout features include Detects and blocks automated brute force attacks against SSH servers, Implements advanced firewall rules to block attackers' IP addresses, Lightweight and easy to configure, Helps harden SSH servers against attacks, Supports Linux and BSD systems, and it shines with pros like Effective in preventing SSH brute force attacks, Lightweight and low-resource footprint, Easy to set up and configure, Actively maintained and updated.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Denyhosts

Denyhosts

DenyHosts is an open-source program designed to help system administrators thwart SSH server attacks by blocking IP addresses using failed authentication attempts to detect attackers. It adds IP addresses to the system's /etc/hosts.deny file when it identifies too many failed SSH attempts.

Categories:
Security & Privacy Access Control
ssh security authentication ip-blocking

Denyhosts Features

  1. Blocks IP addresses that make too many failed SSH login attempts
  2. Adds blocked IP addresses to /etc/hosts.deny file
  3. Open source program written in Python
  4. Works on Linux and Unix-based systems
  5. Configurable thresholds for blocking IPs
  6. Whitelist to prevent blocking valid users
  7. Daemon mode for continuous monitoring
  8. Email alerts when IPs are blocked

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Easy to install and configure

Effective at preventing brute force SSH attacks

Lightweight and low resource usage

Automatically blocks attackers without admin intervention

Open source with active development community

Cons

Can block valid users if thresholds are too low

Requires some Linux sysadmin knowledge to configure

Only protects SSH, not other services

Blocked IPs are not permanently banned

SSHGuard

SSHGuard

SSHGuard is an intrusion prevention software for Linux and BSD systems. It works by detecting automated brute force attacks against SSH servers and blocks attackers' IP addresses with advanced firewall rules. It is lightweight, easy to configure, and helps harden SSH servers against attacks.

Categories:
Security & Privacy Intrusion Prevention
ssh linux bsd firewall

SSHGuard Features

  1. Detects and blocks automated brute force attacks against SSH servers
  2. Implements advanced firewall rules to block attackers' IP addresses
  3. Lightweight and easy to configure
  4. Helps harden SSH servers against attacks
  5. Supports Linux and BSD systems

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Effective in preventing SSH brute force attacks

Lightweight and low-resource footprint

Easy to set up and configure

Actively maintained and updated

Cons

Focuses only on SSH security, not a comprehensive security solution

May block legitimate users in some cases if not configured properly

Limited customization options compared to some other security tools

  1. Automated detection and blocking of brute-force attacks against SSH servers
  2. Advanced firewall rule management to block attackers' IP addresses
  3. Lightweight and easy to configure
  4. Helps harden SSH servers against attacks

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Effective in preventing SSH brute-force attacks

Lightweight and non-resource-intensive

Easy to set up and configure

Actively maintained and supported

Cons

Limited to SSH server protection, does not cover other attack vectors

May block legitimate users if not configured properly

Requires manual intervention to manage blocked IP addresses