A bit concerned

So What! · 10-10-2001 06:16PM #1

Dose ne 1 know how bad it is out there in cyber space. Well wat i realy mean how safe am i can ne1 get my ip address or just look at wats on my computer. IM not paronied or anything i just dont like the idea of some1 being able to look at all my stuff.

Is there anyway i can block my I.P. or stop people from geten in to my computer. for example a while back i had this hacker tracer on my computer and it said that some1 from Dublin was pinging my computer. Dose any1 know why they would b intrested in just ur aveage home user

Any help much appreicated:)

SantaHoe · 12-10-2001 12:16AM

It's safer than it sounds IMHO.
Just because someone has your IP address, doesn't mean any old moron can simply connect and browse your harddrive.
Not unless something is really wrong - like if you've got a trojan or some really insecure net services running.
It's up to you to secure your PC.

Once you've got an up-to-date virus/trojan scanner like Norton AntiVirus, and a firewall like ZoneAlarm, you should be reasonably well protected as a casual home user.

Other than that, don't open attachments/email from people you don't know, don't trust anyone who seems keen on sending you files after only talking to you for 10 mins.
If you think someone's trying extremely hard to gain access to your PC, disconnect, and redial to get a fresh IP address.
And common sense things like that....

I don't think you'll need to worry about formidable hackers as a home user, most of what you'll see on your firewall logs will be harmless, now and then you might get probed for a trojan you probably don't have.
Most of the alerts that might scare you are just normal, harmless events that take place all the time... a server pinging you to see if you're still there, an IRC server scanning you for open proxy's... the list goes on and on.

Any security guru's out there are welcome to tare my post to bits, but I think in this case - it's better to post garbage than leave someone in the dark.

So What! · 12-10-2001 08:35PM

I thougt that ur i.p was set and that was it

yossarin · 13-10-2001 12:09PM

you get assigned an ip address when you dial up based on the modem that picks up your call. an ISP will have a range that it assigns one from. It'd be wasteful to assign permanent ip addresses to people who only have temporary connections.

other than that, what Dead{o}Santa said, just pay attention and follow a few basic safety rules. remember, the NSA doesn't care about your collection of mp3s

moist · 14-10-2001 12:09AM

Originally posted by So What!
I thougt that ur i.p was set and that was it

oops, he said "set" not "sent", better change the reply

Yeah, generally your IP is dynamically assined when you dialup into an ISP.
However if you have a leased line in your office you have static IP's.
Most of the cable systems use dhcp (or similar) so
it is possible to keep the same IP for quite a
long time (depending on how it is configured of course

)

LIQUAD99 · 14-10-2001 05:04PM

Hi Guys

Yes your all right the net isn't as bad a some seem to think as long as you have a good firewall and some good anti virus software.

[URL=http://]www.geocities.com/mafia_2001_ie[/URL]

seamus · 15-10-2001 02:10PM

Don't worry bout it So What!. If you're using Win95/98 and a dial-up, you're pretty much invincible. Only one port is open when you dial up on those OSes(can't remember which one though), and any serious kind of attack is very very difficult to do on that port, and besides, hackers really couldn't be arsed breaking into someone's home PC, we...oops, they are more interested into business information, that anything else.

And the ping.......I ping sweep from time to time, when I'm bored, and I'm sure others do too, so you might have got a ping, but it wasn't directed at you personally, just someone pinging your entire dial-up network maybe or whatever you're on.

So What! · 15-10-2001 10:26PM

Wat dos3e pinging do

seamus · 15-10-2001 10:53PM

Pinging is just like your computer shouting at another one and listening for a response, that's all it does, it checks if another computer is at a specified address(basically). It is harmless for all intended purposes.

joev · 16-10-2001 09:55AM

Originally posted by seamus
Don't worry bout it So What!. If you're using Win95/98 and a dial-up, you're pretty much invincible. Only one port is open when you dial up on those OSes(can't remember which one though), and any serious kind of attack is very very difficult to do on that port, and besides, hackers really couldn't be arsed breaking into someone's home PC, we...oops, they are more interested into business information, that anything else.

Either this is an attempt at disinformation, or you have no idea what you're talking about.

Windows 95/98/NT will by default talk SMB to all and sundry. SMB, is the windows networking protocol and can be used talk to file shares, authentication services and the windows registry.

There are many, many exploits for 95/98/NT over IP, most (but not all) relating to SMB...

Not to mention the 20 or so known DoS attacks for 95/98.

Not to mention worms like 3xplorer

Not to mention the pleathora or windows RPC bugs.

My advice, get yourself a personal firewall like ZoneAlarm or some such and don't listen to seamus....

And the ping.......I ping sweep from time to time, when I'm bored, and I'm sure others do too, so you might have got a ping, but it wasn't directed at you personally, just someone pinging your entire dial-up network maybe or whatever you're on.

Ping sweeping when you're bored, hmm.. what an interesting idea... WTF for? lame lame lame...

Tell you what, ping sweep my network and I'll have the garda computer crime division over to you. (I've worked with them so I know their attitude to this stuff).

In my opinion, you're sweeping, you're looking for something... if you are looking for something on my network, your invading my domain. You do it without my permission, I'll have your ass.

joev.

MindPhuck · 16-10-2001 10:33AM

Originally posted by seamus
Don't worry bout it So What!. If you're using Win95/98 and a dial-up, you're pretty much invincible. Only one port is open when you dial up on those OSes

Oh my God, what a load of toss! Don't listen to this guy.

IMHO, if your worried about security, the first steps is probably to get off win9x, move to windows 2000. Win9x has more holes in its security then a whore on leeson street, and will probably get as riddled with just as much virus's.

Once off win9x, go install service pack 2 for w2k. Then, Install ALL the latest Micro$oft Security updates from the Windows Updater. Make sure you get the security updates for code red/nimda aswell.

Now, install some anti-virus and firewall software (good ones are norton anti-virus and personal firewall, both of which are from Symantec -- i personally use these and recommend them.). Lastly, get the latest virus update for your virus software (keep this updated) and run a full virus check on your complete pc

Now, this wont make you 'invincible', but its pretty solid way of securing your puter. I rarely get any funny sh1t going on these days. Howerver, keep yourself up-to-date on security fixes for your puter.

There is alot more you can do with your operating system to get it more secure, but for the moment, that should be a good place to start.

If your still paranoid. Format your PC and switch to Unix.

dahamsta · 16-10-2001 10:34AM

Don't worry bout it So What!. If you're using Win95/98 and a dial-up, you're pretty much invincible.

Ha! Class! That's the funniest thing I've read all week!

OpenBSD

adam

seamus · 16-10-2001 10:23PM

Emmm...yeah...invincible was definitely not the word I was looking for there(that's what I get for goin on the net during practicals)., Thanks for the grilling I defo deserved that. No more not-thinking-ramblings from me. I promise. I stick with my statement that he really don't need worry, as long as he doesn't download anything stupid.(I'll leave the post as penance for those three words - 'invincible', & 'very diffcult', d'oh)

joev - don't be a tosser.

joev · 17-10-2001 08:25AM

Originally posted by seamus
Emmm...yeah...invincible was definitely not the word I was looking for there(that's what I get for goin on the net during practicals)., Thanks for the grilling I defo deserved that. No more not-thinking-ramblings from me. I promise.
/B]

Well at least you're gracious enough to admit when you've made a mistake.

I stick with my statement that he really don't need worry, as long as he doesn't download anything stupid.(I'll leave the post as penance for those three words - 'invincible', & 'very diffcult', d'oh)

Hmm.. downloading isn't the biggest issue, a moderately informed cracker can own an unhardened 95/8/NT in about 5 minutes flat. No downloading required... besides... have you heard of Nimda?

joev - don't be a tosser.

I try not to be, I just dislike it when people make sweeping statements that are either misinformed or untrue.

Besides, I wouldn't like to intrude on your baliwick

joev.

Hobbes · 17-10-2001 01:08PM

Originally posted by MindPhuck
Win9x has more holes in its security then a whore on leeson street, and will probably get as riddled with just as much virus's.

That has to be the worst simile I have heard ever!

Well except from "He couldn't score with a monkey in a monkey brothel with a large sack of bananas"

SantaHoe · 17-10-2001 02:59PM

Originally posted by Hobbes
"He couldn't score with a monkey in a monkey brothel with a large sack of bananas"

ROFL

Got any more?

Bosco · 18-10-2001 09:09PM

Hi folks,

I would have thought that the level of security an individual should implement on their machine would depend entirely on what they do with that machine, and who they do it to.

The simple fact, whatever some people here might tell you, is that if you're connecting to the internet through any of the big IPSs, and if you don't get yourself noticed by the wrong people, then it is extremely unlikely (though admitedly possible) that anyone will bother with your computer. It simply isn't worth the hassle.

In 5 odd years using the internet through a dial-up connection, I have never had any problems as regards security, nor have I met anyone who has had problems who did not bring those problems on themselves by playing at being 'hackers', or by insulting people for the sake of it.

I suspect that those people who have posted to this thread warning of all the myriad terrible things that can befall your computer fall into one or other category (messers or insulters), or in some cases, both.

Don't worry SoWhat!, respect people and their property and you'll very probably be fine.

Hobbes · 18-10-2001 10:06PM

Sorry Bosco but you are very niave.

If you connect to the internet YOU ARE A TARGET.

Hackers don't go "ooh that guy wrote a post that made me cry, I'll think I'll r33t his box". They poll 100's/1000's of machines at a time looking for a weakness.

Those weakness range from trojans on your machine, to not up to date applications/OS to weakness of the user.

Sticking your machine onto the net without a virus checker and firewall of some kind (let alone older versions of software) is just asking for trouble.

And the main point of hacking is to get your machine without your knowledge. If I had no attacks on my machines for more then a day or problems fixed themselves I would be more worried about the security of my machine then if it was under a "hack teh gibson" attack from l33t kiddies.

MindPhuck · 19-10-2001 09:51AM

Naa,

Thats not true Hobbes. Really, its just because nobody likes you

Hobbes · 20-10-2001 02:23PM

Your box is so r33ted, you made me cry

A bit concerned

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