just installed apache server locally, do I need to secure it?

hello all, i just installed apaches to run tinyrss on this server at localhost. it runs great and all but I thinking I may need to add security to it. do i? will adding apache make a port open? will others have access to it? if i do, i'd appreciate any tips or references to guides that can help secure it.

Apache opens, by default, port 80. If your computer is behind a router or good firewall, then it should not be open to the world so you're safe. You can do a simple check at http://www.t1shopper.com/tools/port-scanner/ simply scan your IP and port 80.

Any server opens a port. If it didn't, then it wouldn't be a server. Do you want it to be accessible only from the computer it's running on (http://localhost/)??) If so, edit /etc/apache2/ports.conf changing "Listen 80" to "Listen 127.0.0.1:80". Then restart apache:

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

Thanks for the tip cdenley. I'd thank you but the thanks button is off. :( Also the secure port is a good idea to set to localhost.

Hmmm... I was gonna reference this help page, but cdenley already covered it - almost exactly.

Appreciate the reference - good help. I don't have access to my ubuntu box right at this time but on my Gentoo box I had to redirect the ssl port too:

Listen 127.0.0.1:443

Just FYI.