If you run the Linux operating system, you have likely encountered the
iptables firewall. This is for good reason, as iptables provides an effective
means to control who talks to your Linux system over a network connection
and how they do it. In the vast uncontrolled network that is the Internet,
attacks can herald from just about any corner of the globe—even though the
perpetrator might physically be located in the next state (or the next room).
If you run a networked Linux machine, your system is at risk of being attacked
and potentially compromised every second of every day.
1