If you have a fairly secure computer how dangerous is it to connect to a modem d

Question

If you have a fairly secure computer how dangerous is it to connect to a modem directly without a router in between.

Let's say the computer is running Debian as a host and Whonix in VirtualBox, a VPN on host and has the appropriate firewall rules in place.

Would it still be important both for security and the integrity of Tor functioning properly to have a router (DD-WRT) in between the modem and the computer to act as a firewall and an added layer of protection or is it irrelevant.

This is all assuming nothing else is needed, no network sharing or VoIP or VPN hosting or anything like that, simply internet access to the computer which the modem by itself can provide.

Explanation / Answer

Many firewalls are based off Linux or BSD and the software such as iptables, firewalld, pf, etc all work very well.

Without going into much detail, it is possible to secure an internet facing machine if it's a requirement.

I wouldn't call a hardware firewall irrelevant, but it's definitely not required for a single machine. When trying to protect multiple servers, a purpose built firewall makes administration much simpler.

Be conscious of what services you run and then create a rule set that adheres to your needs. It is possible to misconfigure a local firewall just as it is with a dedicated firewall, but if configured correctly the local firewall can be just as secure.

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