Hacking

D

Dusk

Registered
This just came to me. So many people are afraid to be hacked and set up a firewall, router or something else. But to play games, you often have to open several ports. Those ports are likely to (should) be only used by the game. So, there should be no way a hacker can break into your computer with those ports, or is there? I want to be sure.
 
of course it's possible. everything is. I think that with OpenBSD (dunno with other BSDs but prolly the same) u can set in the firewall to only open the port when an app is running. well something like that, dunno exactly. with this you'd only have the port opened when u are playing the game.

see http://mldonkey.berlios.de/modules.php?name=Wiki&pagename=PacketFilter it's for mldonkey, but it should be the same for other apps, you just have to understand it ;)
 
What puzzles me is how a hacker can connect trough a port if there's nothing listening for a connection there...
 
Think of each port as a loading dock at the back of a large building. There may be 50 of them, but not everyone is used.

It's still a door into the warehouse/building, or in this case into your computer.

I love it when people use these "personal firewalls", mainly the software based ones and believe they're safe. They're not, maybe a bit more than none, but not safe. Only truely safe method is to use a hardware based firewall, and even those have some shortcommings. Think of it this was, software firewall = "Do not tresspass" sign and small fence. Hardware firewall = big sign, electric fence, and rabid dogs.
 
My macs have never had an issue. Of course, my brother has the best firewall ever...he has an HP desktop. It's kinda like leaving the doors unlocked on a Yugo.
 
You're wrong, MD. The only true safe method is to disconnect your computer from any kind of RJ plug.

Dlatu: Not quite, from online a Yugo looks exactly the same as a Mercedes SLK.
 
Arden, within reason a hardware based firewall is very secure. Much more so than a software based one. As far as unplugging, for the most part you're right...but that's not an option for many people AND everytime you do such a thing you do cause wear on the cable and the internal jack.
 
MD, I know that, but it's still the safest alternative. No access at all is much more secure than highly-guarded, metal detector-equipped, steel vault-accessible, etc. access. You can't deny that.
 
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