They can see my IP and open Ports.... So What?

[zzzreyes]

well how or what do they exactly do....
I mean they can't ftp to the account just because its got an ip and open port?? or can they??
What exactly do they do... and why should I b so afraid?
I know the myth that they can send trojans and viruses dat way....(at least to my current limited knowledg is a myth)
can anyone please xpand on this a bit more?

[RobRich]

Having an open port with no security is quite dangerous, assuming someone knows how to exploit the security hole. If your running Win9x, then a person could upload/download files on your system. Not a very good thing, esp. if you have any sensitive data.

In Unix enviroments, you can use certain open ports to obtain root user access. By simple tcp/ip methods (buffer overruns, fragmented packets, etc.), a person could gain root to have complete access over your system.

Any person dealing with networks should be educated on these issues. It's getting to the point that one has to stay informed of hackers/crackers techniques to just protect their network. I'm sure you can find much information on security issues by a simple web search.

Robert Richmond

[daveleau]

Well, people tend to send out broadcast messages and wait for responses to see who is vulnerable. Then when they find open ports on a system, they can get in and check for passwords, bank info, credit card info... Anything that you might have on your system. I may be a bit paranoid, especially sinc eI have very little delicate info on my system, but I run Zone Alarm (a free DLable firewall), BlackICe Defender ($30 util to block what ZA misses), Tauscan (a trojan scanner), and Jammer (a utility that tells me when my registry is being altered). Needless to say, I am secure....for now.... http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif
Dave