Need to Close Ports on Win 7 64 bit ???

[incurablegeek]

Perhaps I'm again of over-thinking, but I was wondering if is it to one's (security) advantage to close ports that are not used and assign certain open ports, dedicated to certain needs/programs/etc.? (Damn, that's one convoluted sentence.)

Briefly I run Win 7 64 bit on an AMD Quad-Core and have a D-Link Gamer Lounge router which I have set up to the best of my limited ability. Assigned all devices Static IP's with Static DHCP. (Just in progress of learning and may only need static IP's and not static DHCP)

Close unneeded Open Ports - Good Idea or not   

IncurableGeek

[javajolt]

Actually STEALTH PORTS are what you are looking for.  A Closed port will still report back if it is probbed.  You should visit http://www.grc.com/intro.htm and then run shields up.  scroll down approx. half  way and click shields up again and then scroll all the way down click on common ports or scann all service ports.

The image below is a scan of my ports, and as you can see they are in stealth mode, meaning they do not appear when probed.  at the top of the scan it detects your IP address which I have censored on this image.

shields up

Hope this Helps,

[incurablegeek]

My, oh my, was that http://www.grc.com site an absolute eye-opener. I know it seems like I sure ask a lot of inane questions, but thanks to our members and especially JavaJolt, I have learned so much. Thanks all.

I don't think anyone will mind if I post this link on other forums. I'll sure make it known that it came from our Windows7newsinfo.com site.

[javajolt]

To teach is to touch a life forever

Glad grc.com was not only an eye-opener, but a help too.  We are all here to help and learn from each other no matter our particular field expertise.  No matter our age, intelect, education, or expertise in any subject,  the only inane, asinine, redicilous, silly or stupid question is the one NOT ask.  So Please ask all the questions you want.  I am sure someone will have the answer.

[incurablegeek]

I sure got my a$$ chewed off by someone who believes that site is a bunch of hooey. 

Although it's hard to shoot me down in an argument that stays within the bounds of logic and fact (and not shouting), I am really going to be careful next time in trying to help someone on another group.

One nice thing about our group is that it is not yet overrun with assholes, who seem to enjoy and even thrive on conflict. If I am wrong, kindly tell me so - but hopefully not like that clown on the the other site. As I mentioned before I believe in a PM to JavaJolt, also appears to be a group that, despite its incredible size, is quite helpful.

[javajolt]

We all know there is no way to explain ignorance, which whomever it was that read your beads is being.  Furthermore we know that Opinions are like a$$holes, everybody’s got one and they all stink.

To check your results on grc.com turn off your firewall and rescan and review your results.

Below are my results approximately 30 seconds apart.  I have left a major part of my IP addy for verification it is the same computer, and I have 7 static IP addys.

firewall off


firewall on

If grc.com is a bunch of hooey, Steve Gibson sure has mislead millions of people including ALL of the major News outlets which he has spoken on numerous times.  His books and research along with his education from UC Berkeley is hooey too.  Steve Gibson's pedigree can be read here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Gibson_(computer_programmer), and it is not to shabby either.

[DMHolt57]

I think I passed...  

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.

Your system has achieved a perfect "TruStealth" rating. Not a single packet — solicited or otherwise — was received from your system as a result of our security probing tests. Your system ignored and refused to reply to repeated Pings (ICMP Echo Requests). From the standpoint of the passing probes of any hacker, this machine does not exist on the Internet. Some questionable personal security systems expose their users by attempting to "counter-probe the prober", thus revealing themselves. But your system wisely remained silent in every way. Very nice.

[javajolt]

It appears that the issue this fool is refering to wasn't serious enough that Microsoft went ahead and spent time, effort and money issuing security bullitens and writing updates for it and well into 2009.

Description of the Microsoft GDI+ Detection Tool: September 14, 2004
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873374

GDI+ 1.0 Security Update Overview
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms995328.aspx

How to update your computer with the JPEG processing (GDI+) security update Sep 14, 2004
http://www.microsoft.com/nz/protect/computer/updates/bulletins/200409_jpeg_tool.mspx

Windows GDI+ update prevents Web-image attacks Patch Watch, October 15, 2009
http://windowssecrets.com/2009/10/15/08-Windows-GDI+-update-prevents-Web-image-attacks

I would let this fool wallow in his own ignorance, and not pass this on to this moron as it will simply egg him on, and I would remove the post along with all his remarks as if this matter and he did not exist.

[incurablegeek]

I sure got some very helpful advice - and support - from this forum. I have really learned a lot from you folks and I really, truly appreciate your patience with me.

Like DMHolt, I too passed with flying colors and had similar results, my computer being locked up tighter than a drum. Most of that is probably because I have taken a lot of time to learn and program my new D-Link Gamer Lounge router. (Oh hell, there I go again - spamming for D-Link. When will I ever learn?)  

This whole issue of "spamming" really befuddles me. How do you post what you believe to be helpful advice found on another site without posting a link? All I really learned from this
(on two other sites) is that no good deed goes unpunished. Had not JavaJolt told me about the site I would never have learned as much as I did today. Also, thanks to that site I now know exactly why Zone Alarm is the only firewall worth using, certainly not Norton and not even ESET, which Maximum PC said was the Holy Grail of Security.

Color me confused - and with my tail tucked nicely between my legs, for the time being at least. For what it's worth I have been working with computers since 1989, and I'm not talking about data entry or word processing. At the same time, I always emphasize my ignorance, not out of false humility but rather as the only mindset I know that will lead to my learning more and more. At no time do I ever intend to come across as a presumptuous #sshole.

Thanks again guys,

Dennis (IG)

[javajolt]

Spamming is not something new and should not be taken lightly by anybody.  Here on W7NI it is not and will not be tolerated in any form or fashion.

The sheer reference to D-Link and Zone Alarm does not constitute spam as we continously mention names of hardware and software and many times include a hyperlink to their respective website and or a download link.  When you see hyperlinks they are most always encapsulated in a quote barcket which makes them active and you can click on it and go to that particular site or download a given piece of software.  

What would be considered Spam on W7NI and probably most other froums would be a hyperlink possibly advertising a site that delivers malicious code or installs malware of some type and appears in the forum members profile and in the signature block below the posting.  This type of spamming is grounds for an immediate and permanent ban of the member, their email address and their IP address.  

If any member has questions regarding spamming, Please send me a Private Message (pm) with your question and I will answer back usually that same day since I am online approximately 18 hours a day, or within 24 hours.

I qualify All new registrants IP addresses by checking whois for location followed by a spam reporting site for IP address, we can and have added to the log on known spamming IP addresses for other people to see the most recent activity.  This not only protects the forum, but our members as well because we all have too much to loose.

I am glad incurablegeek and others are gathering invaluable knowledge from our forum, that is one of the missions of this forum is to share and learn from each other.

Thank you all for being a member of W7NI

Javajolt/riso
Administrators