[Evolution-users] Receive mail directly on my own computer

[Pete Biggs]

On Sun, 2025-10-19 at 22:11 -0400, Michael S. via evolution-users
wrote:
> On Mon, 2025-10-20 at 00:42 +0100, Pete Biggs wrote:
> > On Sun, 2025-10-19 at 14:29 -0400, janos via evolution-users wrote:
> > > On Sun, 2025-10-19 at 13:21 -0400, Michael S. via evolution-users
> > > wrote:
> > > > > A word of warning - any mail system open to the internet on port
> > > > > 25
> > > > > will be a target of abuse.
> > > > To echo Pete, take a look just at port 25.
> > > I'm responding from my own postfix mail server; and yes, setting up a
> > > mail server is not easy. I've had may share of problems in the past
> > > three years until (I think) I have a stable sestup. A slight
> > > configuration can expose your to all sorts of troubles.
> > > ...
> > > 
> > 
> > As a sort of "I wonder if I can still do it" thing I set up a mail
> > server to receive mail from the internet this afternoon: it was 20 mins
> > before I got the first probe (it was a host in China somewhere) and
> > I've had regular door knocking for the past few hours - a persistent
> > one has someone called Aleksei in the WhoIs.
> 
> === SECURITY RECOMMENDATIONS ===
> 1. Block port 25 if you don't need email functionality
> 2. Use external email services (Gmail, SendGrid, etc.) instead of local mail
> 3. Monitor logs regularly for suspicious activity
> 4. Keep your system updated
> 5. Use fail2ban to automatically block suspicious IPs
> 6. Consider using non-standard ports for legitimate mail services

Yes, as I said I have run mail servers in the past, first was on SunOS4
with 'real' sendmail as the MTA and ending up with a corporate mail
server running Exim.  I retired a few years ago and this was just to
see if I could do it using Postfix as I had never used it in my job.

I closed all the firewalls last night before I went to bed!


P.