---
title: Minimize network services
description: Reduce the potential for network service compromise by disabling unnecessary services, restricting ports, and running daemons as non-root.
component: pingdirectory
version: 10.2
page_id: pingdirectory:pingdirectory_security_guide:pd_sec_minimize_network_services
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/11.1/pingdirectory_security_guide/pd_sec_secure_host_system.html
llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/llms.txt
docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md
revdate: 2023-09-13T00:00:00Z
---

# Minimize network services

Take steps to reduce the potential for compromise of network services.

Steps include:

* Disable any unnecessary network services.

* If there are network daemons that must run on the system but are only accessed over the loopback interface, such as a local SMTP server for relaying email messages, configure them so that they are not accessible to external clients.

* Use firewall software to ensure that only the minimum number of ports are exposed to external systems.

* When possible, configure services to run as a non-root user with as few rights as possible.