FreeBSD - Secure by DEFAULT ?? [hosts.allow]

[Schalk Erasmus]

Hi,

I need to know what the implications are to make use of the hosts.allow file
on a FreeBSD Production Server (ISP Setup)? The reason I'm asking, is that
I've recently decommisioned a Linux SendMail Server to a FreeBSD Exim
Server, but with no Firewall (IPTABLES) yet.

Besides the fact that it only runs EXIM and Apache, is it necessary to
Configure rc.Firewall? or can I only make use of the hosts.allow file?

Currently I would only like to allow SSH access from my Home Network,
instead of allowing the WORLD.

I've seen OpenBSD Servers using hosts.deny and hosts.allow files, but based
on the new "Access Control File", it is all merged together in one file:

# hosts.allow access control file for "tcp wrapped" applications.
# $FreeBSD: src/etc/hosts.allow,v 1.8.2.7 2002/04/17 19:44:22 dougb Exp $
#

I take that I should allow the other Services, in this order:

sshd : myhomepc : allow
exim : ALL : allow
httpd : ALL : allow
ftpd : ALL : allow
ALL : ALL : deny


What kind of protection does FreeBSD need by Default? Since OpenBSD goes
around saying: "SECURE BY DEFAULT" !?

Just asking.....

Regards

Schalk Erasmus
Incredible Networks
Windhoek, Namibia