CPGuard Firewall: How It Protects Hosting Servers from Network Attacks
CPGuard Firewall defends hosting servers against network-level attacks — from brute-force login attempts to volumetric DDoS.
Contents
What is CPGuard Firewall?
CPGuard Firewall controls network traffic at the IP and port level on hosting servers, working with Linux firewall tools (iptables/nftables) to block dangerous IPs, rate-limit connections, and protect critical ports including SSH (22), FTP (21), and SMTP (25). It coordinates with CPGuard WAF and Malware Scanner to provide comprehensive layered protection.
- Automatically blocks dangerous IPs from global blacklists
- Rate limiting prevents connection floods
- Port control — open/close ports as required
- Works with Linux iptables/nftables
- Real-time dashboard for monitoring suspicious traffic
IP Blacklisting and Auto-blocking
CPGuard pulls IP blacklist data from leading threat intelligence feeds and updates automatically — pre-blocking IPs known to have attacked other servers worldwide. When CPGuard detects an attack from an IP not yet on any blacklist, it adds it automatically to local block rules and can contribute the data back to the central threat database.
- Pulls threat intelligence from leading global sources
- Blocks dangerous IPs before they reach the server
- Auto-adds IPs detected attacking this server
- Trusted IP whitelisting to prevent false blocks
- Full block log available for retrospective review
Rate Limiting and Connection Throttling
Rate limiting caps the number of connections or requests per second from a single IP, applied per protocol type — HTTP requests, SMTP connections, SSH login attempts. When an IP exceeds the configured threshold, the system throttles or temporarily blocks it, preventing flood and small-scale DDoS attacks from overwhelming the server.
- Per-protocol limits: HTTP, SMTP, FTP, SSH
- Automatic throttling when thresholds are exceeded
- Temporary blocking for repeat flood sources
- Sensitivity tunable to match server traffic patterns
Port Control and Service Hardening
Servers commonly have unnecessary ports open. CPGuard Firewall helps close unused ports, reducing the attack surface. It also enables rules that restrict critical service access — for example, allowing SSH only from specific administrator IP addresses.
- Close unused ports to reduce attack surface
- Restrict SSH/FTP access to specific IP addresses
- Block port scans from external IPs
- Custom rules for application-specific ports
Basic DDoS Mitigation
CPGuard Firewall handles small-to-medium DDoS via rate limiting and connection throttling. Large volumetric DDoS that saturates the server uplink requires upstream mitigation from an ISP or CDN provider. At that scale, CPGuard serves as the final filtering layer for traffic that passes through upstream mitigation systems.
- Handles small-to-medium DDoS through rate limiting
- Large-scale DDoS requires additional upstream mitigation
- Can work alongside CDN upstream as a last-mile filter
- Blocks known DDoS source IPs from threat intelligence feeds
Firewall Logging and Monitoring
CPGuard Firewall logs every block event with timestamp, source IP, destination port, and reason — enabling administrators to analyse attack patterns, identify repeat offenders, and refine rules over time. The real-time dashboard provides a continuous security status overview.
- Logs every block event with full details
- Filter logs by IP, port, protocol, or date range
- Export logs for SIEM or external analysis
- Real-time dashboard showing current server security status
GeoIP Blocking
CPGuard supports GeoIP blocking to restrict access from specified countries — useful for sites targeting Thai or Southeast Asian audiences that have no legitimate reason for traffic from certain regions to access admin areas or login endpoints, significantly reducing foreign bot noise.
- Block IPs from specified countries
- Uses a regularly updated GeoIP database
- Ideal for sites without international traffic requirements
- Apply to specific ports or URLs rather than blanket country blocks
Hosting with Server-Level Firewall
A properly configured server firewall is a critical part of secure hosting infrastructure. Ask providers how their firewall is configured and whether automatic threat blocking is in place. AsiaGB.com provides hosting and VPS with server-level security, SSD storage, DirectAdmin, 24-hour Thai support, and 99% uptime.
- Ask providers how their server firewall is configured
- Automatic threat IP blocking is essential for modern security
- Good hosting should include firewall and rate limiting by default