- A guide to securing your home computer system with a Linux firewall
- Is your home system at risk?
- What's safe?
- Is your home system a server?
- Are broadband connections more vulnerable?
- What ports are open?
- Using netstat to list ports
- Is Windows file sharing a risk?
- Using a port scan to test your system
- Checking for Windows NetBIOS risks
- Definitions
Is your home system at risk?
How do you know if you need a firewall for your home computer system?
First, it should be emphasized that it doesn't really matter if your connection is a simple dialup connection or a broadband 24-7 connection. The security issues are the same. When you are connected to the Internet, your system is vulnerable to a hacker attack.
What matters is whether your computer has any kind of server software running on it. If your home computer is running Windows2000, Windows NT, or Linux, then it probably has server software running on it and your system is potentially vulnerable to an attack.