Test Your Computer/Internet Security

[Dillinger]

I posted this on another thread - but I think its worthy of its own thread. This, and similar sites, have come up occaisionally in the past.

I highly recommend that everyone goes to the "SheildsUp" website - https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 which you can use to test the security of your computer's connection to the internet.

It doesn't take long and will (hopefully) give you some peace of mind, or at least let you know if you have any vulnerabilities you need to fix.

If you think this advice is worthwhile then keep the thread alive for a bit by posting your results.

 

[markb325]

*Bump*

 

[DannyBoyUK]

Erm.....

It tries to show how clever it is by announcing my username

But it got it wrong !

It thinks I am D4M9R3 (I changed a couple of letters for obvious reasons but the "test" still got it wrong - lol)

 

[bluespoke]

Apparently I'm operating in full stealth mode and couldn't be 'penetrated'!

 

[Feelin' Naughty]

Thanks for the info Dillinger

My test results.

Attempting connection to your computer. . .
Shields UP! is now attempting to contact the Hidden Internet Server within your PC. It is likely that no one has told you that your own personal computer may now be functioning as an Internet Server with neither your knowledge nor your permission. And that it may be serving up all or many of your personal files for reading, writing, modification and even deletion by anyone, anywhere, on the Internet!

Your Internet port 139 does not appear to exist!
One or more ports on this system are operating in FULL STEALTH MODE! Standard Internet behavior requires port connection attempts to be answered with a success or refusal response. Therefore, only an attempt to connect to a nonexistent computer results in no response of either kind. But YOUR computer has DELIBERATELY CHOSEN NOT TO RESPOND (that's very cool!) which represents advanced computer and port stealthing capabilities. A machine configured in this fashion is well hardened to Internet NetBIOS attack and intrusion.

Unable to connect with NetBIOS to your computer.
All attempts to get any information from your computer have FAILED. (This is very uncommon for a Windows networking-based PC.) Relative to vulnerabilities from Windows networking, this computer appears to be VERY SECURE since it is NOT exposing ANY of its internal NetBIOS networking protocol over the Internet.

Cool huh?

 

[Feelin' Naughty]

port test results


Port Service Status Security Implications

21
FTP
Closed Your computer has responded that this port exists but is currently closed to connections.

23
Telnet
Closed Your computer has responded that this port exists but is currently closed to connections.

25
SMTP
Closed Your computer has responded that this port exists but is currently closed to connections.

79
Finger
Closed Your computer has responded that this port exists but is currently closed to connections.

110
POP3
Closed Your computer has responded that this port exists but is currently closed to connections.

113
IDENT
Closed Your computer has responded that this port exists but is currently closed to connections.

135
RPC
Closed Your computer has responded that this port exists but is currently closed to connections.

139
Net
BIOS
Stealth! There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that a port (or even any computer) exists at this IP address!

143
IMAP
Closed Your computer has responded that this port exists but is currently closed to connections.

443
HTTPS
Closed Your computer has responded that this port exists but is currently closed to connections.

445
MSFT
DS
Closed Your computer has responded that this port exists but is currently closed to connections.

5000
UPnP
OPEN! Universal Plug'n'Play is Microsoft's new protocol for allowing PCs to automatically discover and control a wide range of locally networked peripherals. This powerful protocol is likely to expose the user's machine to many clever remote security exploits and vulnerabilities. And, unfortunately, Microsoft has enabled this insecure protocol by default -- even if your system doesn't need or use it. You can easily disable this with our free UnPlug n' Pray utility.

Concerning the very last port, should I download the utility or just leave well enough alone? I do not want to booger anything up!

 

[MissTaken]

No penetration here either!

Of course, we all KNEW that!

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

There are some other sites. These may give some reassurance to those (like Myst) who were wondering if the Gibson site was giving them false security.

http://www.blackcode.com/scan/


Blackcode seems very slow, a bit buggy (never could get the second phase scan to run), and had an annoying popup, but it seemed to try a lot of different ports.

http://www.dslreports.com/scan

DSL Reports is not very descriptive of which ports it tests, but they are well respected, and they do describe a little about *how* they test the ports.

FWIW, I have a firewall in my sat. modem and software, plus I run ZoneAlarm, so it seems I am fairly secure - none of these tests detected any security holes on my computer, and I have a static IP (albeit through a proxy - which seemed to fool at least one other scan site that wasn't worthy to mention here).

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

5000
UPnP
OPEN! Universal Plug'n'Play is Microsoft's new protocol for allowing PCs to automatically discover and control a wide range of locally networked peripherals. This powerful protocol is likely to expose the user's machine to many clever remote security exploits and vulnerabilities. And, unfortunately, Microsoft has enabled this insecure protocol by default -- even if your system doesn't need or use it. You can easily disable this with our free UnPlug n' Pray utility.

Concerning the very last port, should I download the utility or just leave well enough alone? I do not want to booger anything up!

Read the info they have on the site about it. Are you running XP? Do you not have the latest IE security patch?

 

[Guest]

My results were the same as Feeling Naughty, so I didn't want to post them.

But I expected mine to be vulnerable, since I don't have a personal firewall. Why is that? Could it be my ISP provider protects me?

Moon

 

[Feelin' Naughty]

Read the info they have on the site about it. Are you running XP? Do you not have the latest IE security patch?

No, I'm running ME but I do the updates frequently, as a matter of fact I have Windows Update set to tell me when I need to install something. I assume I have all of the latest patches.

I also wondered the same thing as MoonWolf, I have no firewalls so does my cable connection protect me?

 

[freakygirl]

Port Status Descriptions:

Stealth!


If all of the tested ports were shown to have stealth status, then for all intents and purposes your computer doesn't exist to scanners on the Internet!

It means that either your computer is turned off or disconnected from the Net (which seems unlikely since you must be using it right now!) or an effective stealth firewall is blocking all unauthorized external contact with your computer. This means that it is completely opaque to random scans and direct assault. Even if this machine had previously been scanned and logged by a would-be intruder, a methodical return to this IP address will lead any attacker to believe that your machine is turned off, disconnected, or no longer exists. You couldn't ask for anything better.

There's one additional benefit: scanners are actually hurt by probing this machine! You may have noticed how slowly the probing proceeded. This was caused by your firewall! It was required, since your firewall is discarding the connection-attempt messages sent to your ports. A non-firewalled PC responds immediately that a connection is either refused or accepted, telling a scanner that it's found a live one ... and allowing it to get on with its scanning. But your firewall is acting like a black hole for TCP/IP packets! This means that it's necessary for a scanner to sit around and wait for the maximum round-trip time possible — across the entire Net, into your machine, and back again — before it can safely conclude that there's no computer at the other end. That's very cool.

 

[Guest]

I also wondered the same thing as MoonWolf, I have no firewalls so does my cable connection protect me?

I'd be concerned about your open port. I didn't have any open. I may download the firewall that the page had a link to. I've been thinking of doing it for a while.

Moon

 

[Spinaroonie]

Heh heh

"Unable to connect with NetBIOS to your computer.
All attempts to get any information from your computer have FAILED. (This is very uncommon for a Windows networking-based PC.) Relative to vulnerabilities from Windows networking, this computer appears to be VERY SECURE since it is NOT exposing ANY of its internal NetBIOS networking protocol over the Internet."

I'm not running a firewall?

How did I do it?

Don't use Windows swiss cheese software

 

[concrete]

everything came up closed
one port listed as vunerable...checking it out
thanks DILLENGER

 

[riff]

Attempting connection to your computer. . .
Shields UP! is now attempting to contact the Hidden Internet Server within your PC. It is likely that no one has told you that your own personal computer may now be functioning as an Internet Server with neither your knowledge nor your permission. And that it may be serving up all or many of your personal files for reading, writing, modification and even deletion by anyone, anywhere, on the Internet!
Your Internet port 139 does not appear to exist!
One or more ports on this system are operating in FULL STEALTH MODE! Standard Internet behavior requires port connection attempts to be answered with a success or refusal response. Therefore, only an attempt to connect to a nonexistent computer results in no response of either kind. But YOUR computer has DELIBERATELY CHOSEN NOT TO RESPOND (that's very cool!) which represents advanced computer and port stealthing capabilities. A machine configured in this fashion is well hardened to Internet NetBIOS attack and intrusion.
Unable to connect with NetBIOS to your computer.
All attempts to get any information from your computer have FAILED. (This is very uncommon for a Windows networking-based PC.) Relative to vulnerabilities from Windows networking, this computer appears to be VERY SECURE since it is NOT exposing ANY of its internal NetBIOS networking protocol over the Internet.

 

[concrete]

RIFF

you da man..
thought I set this damm thing up right..
thanks for the info

 

[riff]

Re: RIFF

you da man..
thought I set this damm thing up right..
thanks for the info

bring it on.

 

[Hamletmaschine]

It said I was going to meet a tall, dark stranger!

 

[riff]

It said I was going to meet a tall, dark stranger!

I'm only 5' 7"

Just call me Shorty. LOL

 

[Hamletmaschine]

You have mail, shorty.

 

[riff]

So long as it is not a bill or direct mail advertising, I am cool with that.

 

[Private Vasquez]

I'm a sneaky bitch. Stealth and shit.

That's not an invitation for any port poking, okay?

 

[riff]

I would think you might enjoy a probe or two in a port or two...

Bend over and let me finger your BIOS.

 

[Private Vasquez]

Fingers are fine, just don't give me any viruses.