How to Set Up Fail2Ban on Ubuntu 24.04 in 2026

Fail2Ban remains the most effective tool against brute force attacks in 2026. Ubuntu 24.04 brings updated systemd integration. Here is the complete setup.

Step 1 — Install Fail2Ban

apt install fail2ban -y
systemctl enable fail2ban --now

Step 2 — Create Local Config

cp /etc/fail2ban/jail.conf /etc/fail2ban/jail.local
nano /etc/fail2ban/jail.local

Step 3 — Configure SSH Protection

[sshd]
enabled  = true
port     = ssh
logpath  = /var/log/auth.log
maxretry = 3
bantime  = 86400
findtime = 3600

Step 4 — Configure Nginx Protection

[nginx-http-auth]
enabled  = true
port     = http,https
logpath  = /var/log/nginx/error.log
maxretry = 5

[nginx-botsearch]
enabled  = true
port     = http,https
logpath  = /var/log/nginx/access.log
maxretry = 2

Step 5 — Configure WordPress Login Protection

[wordpress]
enabled  = true
port     = http,https
filter   = wordpress
logpath  = /var/log/nginx/access.log
maxretry = 5
bantime  = 86400

Step 6 — Reload and Monitor

systemctl reload fail2ban
fail2ban-client status
fail2ban-client status sshd

Conclusion

Fail2Ban with these rules blocks the majority of automated attacks. Our team provides complete server security hardening.