----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2001 9:26
PM
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] External access
to
PCs / IP etc
IP security is a mistery for a lot of
people.
As Graham said, "Shields up" is a good test
for
knowing how oppened if your PC.
As Graham said (again), due to some
aplication,
you need to keep some ports oppened, and always an open port is a hole in
the
system. The first thing you must do is just open the ports that need to be
open.
You also must keep up to date the software
that
is listening to that oppened ports, installing all the patches and
updates...
the level of security of that port is up to the quality of the software
that
is controling it.
There are some basic big holes that you must
be
sure to close in your system, and Shields up can tell them.
Obviously, one is the "great" default option
of
TCP/IP in Windows: Netbios over ip. If you have this option enabled, your
shared resources can be accessed from an outer conections, for example
direct
access to you hard disk data. Make sure that you have that option
disabled.
What else... mmm.. a lot.. depending to the
type
of conection you have, and how your internet provider has configured your
adapter.
For example a modem conection is a dangerous
conection if you have no firewall installed.
A DSL conection using a router configured as a
multiPC conection can be very safe. In my country (Spain), the default
conection of the router is "safe" (*)...
As a first test, check Shields up and read
what
it says about your conection.
(*) Nothing is safe
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2001 10:01
PM
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] External access
to PCs / IP etc
Graham,
I see. As I said ... IP networking a
mystery to me. It has been an item on my todo list for years.
Theres just always something more important. Currently teaching myself Perl
is top on my list ... but thats 20-30 items down the list SWMBO has for
me.
robin
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2001 8:50
PM
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] External access
to PCs / IP etc
The GRC site is very useful and I would certainly recommend
everyone to visit it to identify potential vulnerabilities in their
systems. Unfortunately it couldn't have saved my web server as the virus
entered via the web port which has to be open on a web server ! The
only defence in my case would have been up to date
patching.
Graham
Folks,
I've watched the discussions on
IIS, worms and ports/PCs being probed from external locations over the
last few days. I've never professed (that doesnt look to be spelt
right) to bein an person that understands IP networking but on
it potential for exposure seems high. Reading
uk.comp.home.netowrking today I saw somebody pointing to http://grc.com/ . The guy there offers
a
service called Sheilds up! which supposedly tests out how secure your PC
is to 'baddies' on the internet. Has anybody tried it? I
remember trying it, maybe a year ago and from what I remember it showed
up number of problems I had. Since then I've installed Wingate and
enabled its firewall. This time Sheilds Up! could not get
in.
Two reasons for posting this,
firstly, any comments, anybody else tried Shields up! and secondly maybe
it is of use to some others (assuming it works fine)
regards,
robin
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