Hey there folks,

I’m trying to figure out how to configure my UFW, and I’m just not sure where to start. What can I do to see the intetnet traffic from individual apps so I can know what I might want to block? This is just my personal computer and I’m a total newbie to configuring firewalls so I’m just not sure how to go about it. Most online guides seem to assume one already knows what they want to block but I don’t even know how/where to monitor local traffic to figure out what I can/should consider blocking.

  • stoy@lemmy.zip
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    17 hours ago

    UFW

    This is just my personal computer and I’m a newbie to configure firewalls

    Leave it alone.

    If you want to experiment, set up a VM and experiment there.

    Also, if you want to learn about Linux firewalls, go for iptables instead. UFW is easier, yes, but you won’t get the standard way of configuring a Linux firewall, though to be honest, unless you are directly connecting the computer to the internet, you probably won’t need to bother.

    And if you are working in an environment where you are dealing with a segmented network with limited access between segments, they will probably already use a separate firewall that is easier to manage centrally than induvidual firewalls running on individual computers

    • Possibly linux@lemmy.zip
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      9 minutes ago

      No one uses IPtables as a Firewall. That would be insane. Instead you set Firewall rules which then translate to IPtables under the hood

    • ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org
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      6 hours ago

      I think it’s fine to start with UFW on a desktop system at home to learn the very basics and get an idea on what ports you actually need. learning iptables/nftables is useful, but not necessary for a simple user at that level

      • stoy@lemmy.zip
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        54 minutes ago

        Eh, I get what you mean but I disagree.

        That is sort of saying that if someone want to learn Swedish, but since they don’t know any Swedish, it is better to start them on Norweigan first.

        If UFW had used a similar syntax to that of iptables, then it would be a decent way of doing it, but in this example I disagree with you

    • rhys@lemmy.rhys.wtf
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      14 hours ago

      if you want to learn about Linux firewalls, go for iptables instead.

      I’d suggest learning nftables might be more fruitful nowadays.