[cobalt-users] ipchains logic/philosophy question

[Paul Warner <pwarner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have reviewed the docs on ipchains and am ready to implement it on a
server, but am still confused as to its real purpose.  Were the host acting
as a router and using the chains to allow/forward/deny access to internal
resources as well as public ones, I would be OK with it...if a standalone
leased server is acting as a public device hosting DNS, v-servers, SMTP, POP
and other service are not started (verified with a port-scan), what purpose
does ipchains serve in DENYing access to the telnet and ftp ports, other
than to log the intrusion when someone hits that port?  The server does not
have these daemons running, so there's no question that it won't respond to
them.

Obviously I'm missing something here...

-- P