Shields Up!: The entire Western Hemisphere depends on my PC
Written: Jul 19 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very detailed, but easy to understand
Cons: a bit alarming at first
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| auntnono's Full Review: Shields Up |
Okay, so maybe I exaggerated just a tad. The whole Western Hemisphere is not reliant on my PC for it's survival. I don't have any top-secret government documents, but I do have Granny's secret family recipe for melt in your mouth shortbread. She would turn in her grave at the thought of it falling into the wrong hands. But all joking aside, Internet security is nothing to sneeze at.
So what brought about this sudden concern for Internet security?
A few weeks ago I shared the news I was going on DSL with my good friend and computer guru, happy2000usa. Happy immediately e-mailed me a link to the Gibson Resource Corporation home page. (http://grc.com/default.htm). He explained since DSL was basically a 24/7 Internet access, I should check my PC for "security leaks" by running the Shields Up! software found on the Gibson homepage. He further explained that in today’s mixed-up society I needed to worry just as much about what could be put into my computer as what could be extracted. Security holes leave one vulnerable to Trojan horse’s and viruses.
For once I was sure neither my computer nor I would be found lax or lacking. I have been running GuardDog for almost two years. With the amount of barking and growling my cyber Doberman has done, I was positive my system could not be penetrated.
Putting My PC to the Test
All started off well, when after clicking on the Shields Up! icon, the site greeted me by the name, Default. Now I have been found at fault more than once in my life, but I have never been known as Default. Bowser was doing his job, protecting my name.
You have your choice of two tests. The first, Test My Shields!, attempts to connect with any hidden servers within the PC. Without so much as a whimper from my cyber mutt Shields Up! connected with my computer. Bad news. No cyber walk for Bowser tonight. The good news was, Shields Up! failed to connect to the NetBIOS port. This meant my system was relatively secure from casual entry. I then proceeded to the second test, Probe My ports.
The port probe software attempts to connect with your PC through ten of the most vulnerable ports on your computer:
Port 21 FTP
Port 23 Telnet
Port 25 SMTP
Port 79 Finger
Port 80 HTTP
Port 110 POP3
Port 113 IDENT
Port 139 NetBIOS
Port 143 IMAP
Port 443 HTTPS
I'll admit I did not recognize the majority of these ports, but I did know that SMTP and POP3 had to do with my e-mail, so I was very interested to see how my PC tested in those areas.
The Results
Out of the ten ports probed, my computer returned a closed status on all but one. Closed ports will refuse connection attempts by any would-be scanner. The only thing better than closed, is to have your ports completely hidden or in stealth mode. It was the one open port that caused the concern, Port 139 NetBIOS. This is the file and printers sharing port that is the easiest for scanners to connect with.
In order to close this port and run in complete stealth mode, Mr. Gibson suggested the use of a personal firewall. Firewalls are available for purchase or there are some that can be downloaded for free. I took his advice and downloaded the free firewall, ZoneAlarm 2.0 (http://www.zonelabs.com/). After installing ZoneAlarm, I ran the tests again and found I was indeed running in complete stealth mode.
There is more to the Shields Up! site, than the running of these two tests. There are 12 separate forums containing valuable information ranging from explanations to the history of the site. Rather than go into detail about each one here, I advise you to visit the GRC Shields Up! site for yourself (http://grc.com/default.htm). Each section is written in an easy to understand manner. Even a non-geek like me came away knowing more about computer security than I ever thought possible. I should warn you though, it took me over three days to read each section completely. I also suggest signing up for the opt-in mailing list, to keep apprised of the latest in security breakthroughs. No pun intended.
PS: In case you’re wondering, my faithful GuardDog passed away quietly in his sleep without ever realizing he had been replaced.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
auntnono
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Member: Norma Mueller
Location: Anaheim CA
Reviews written: 56
Trusted by: 104 members
About Me:
My boss told me I was TOO honest!
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