bear with me, I'll get to the questions.
I recently bought a computer with WinXP Professional installed, after an lifetime of Win9x use. I never ran a firewall while running Win9x. While configuring things and reading, I came to see that WinXP comes with its own firewall, which they call ICF (Internet Connection Firewall).
Perhaps I should back up here.
I only know what a firewall does in the most abstract sense.
I know that it is supposed to protect me from uncalled for ingoing outgoing traffic, by blocking certain ports. What I've gathered from reading on the internet is that the WinXP firewall only blocks incoming traffic, and doesn't deal with the stuff going OUT of my box. It is turned on by default, and seems to block most everything, aside from my web browsing from coming in. I followed a tutorial I foung on the web and opened up some ports so I could use the file transfer capabilites of AIM, ICQ, etc.. and some so I can use IRC properly.
I suppose my question(s) is this.
1. By opening select ports for DCC tranfers and such, am I opening those ports up for malicious things? How easy is it for someone to find which ports are open, and how easily can the exploit them? What exactly is a "port"? Do they all work the same.. ie can i open up 2003 instead of 542, or are they reserved for different kinds of traffic?
2. I'm under the impression that i need a firewall to control outgoing traffic as well. Many people have suggested Zone Alarm. If I set this up, will I need to create a bunch of holes in it so I can go about my daily business, like I did with the XP firewall? And if i do, will these holes be exploitable?
3. Does anyone have any good links that would help me understand what a firewall, and some other basic networking stuff really does in the first place?
Any insight, help straightening things out in my head would be appreciated.
Thanks for any and all responses in advance,
Rob
I recently bought a computer with WinXP Professional installed, after an lifetime of Win9x use. I never ran a firewall while running Win9x. While configuring things and reading, I came to see that WinXP comes with its own firewall, which they call ICF (Internet Connection Firewall).
Perhaps I should back up here.
I only know what a firewall does in the most abstract sense.
I know that it is supposed to protect me from uncalled for ingoing outgoing traffic, by blocking certain ports. What I've gathered from reading on the internet is that the WinXP firewall only blocks incoming traffic, and doesn't deal with the stuff going OUT of my box. It is turned on by default, and seems to block most everything, aside from my web browsing from coming in. I followed a tutorial I foung on the web and opened up some ports so I could use the file transfer capabilites of AIM, ICQ, etc.. and some so I can use IRC properly.
I suppose my question(s) is this.
1. By opening select ports for DCC tranfers and such, am I opening those ports up for malicious things? How easy is it for someone to find which ports are open, and how easily can the exploit them? What exactly is a "port"? Do they all work the same.. ie can i open up 2003 instead of 542, or are they reserved for different kinds of traffic?
2. I'm under the impression that i need a firewall to control outgoing traffic as well. Many people have suggested Zone Alarm. If I set this up, will I need to create a bunch of holes in it so I can go about my daily business, like I did with the XP firewall? And if i do, will these holes be exploitable?
3. Does anyone have any good links that would help me understand what a firewall, and some other basic networking stuff really does in the first place?
Any insight, help straightening things out in my head would be appreciated.
Thanks for any and all responses in advance,
Rob