The only Linux command you need for monitoring network traffic - and how to use it

This article provides a practical guide to monitoring Linux network traffic with the iftop command, including installation steps for Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch, identifying the correct interface via `ip a`, and running `sudo iftop -i INTERFACE`. It explains how to read incoming (`<=`) and outgoing (`=>`) traffic, suggests using Whois to investigate suspicious IPs, and advises blocking questionable addresses via a firewall, positioning iftop as a simple alternative to more complex tools like Wireshark.