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Why I Always Disable Unused Services on Linux Servers
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When I take over a new Linux server, one of the first things I do is check which services are running . Why? Because every service left running is another potential door for attackers .
Here’s why disabling unused services is one of the fastest wins in hardening — and how I do it step by step.
🚨 The Risks of Leaving Services Running
- Increased Attack Surface An open port means someone can knock on it. Even if the service isn’t vulnerable today, it could be tomorrow.
- Privilege Escalation Paths Services running as root can become a direct route to full system compromise.
root- Resource Drain Unused daemons eat CPU, memory, and bandwidth for no reason. - Compliance Failures CIS Benchmarks, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA all require minimizing unnecessary services.
🔍 Step 1: Identify What’s Running
Check active services:
systemctl list-unit-files --type=service --state=enabled
Check open ports:
ss -tulnp
➡️ Any service listening externally that you don’t need is a candidate for shutdown.
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