"Listening" to ports 1

[djones2002]

Anyone have comment on how safe/unsafe it is to have programs listening to pre-defined IP ports? For example, if I install JetAdmin from HP and it says it will listen to port 8000. Is this safe? Or should we make sure this port is blocked on the router, or something?

Thanks for any info.

Dennis Jones

 

[JasonDeckard]

An application posts a listen on a port to allow remote users/applications to interact with it. Hopefully, the application is taking steps to authenticate the remote entities that connect to it.

However, if you know that there will never be a need for someone outside your LAN to access services on a particular port, it is a good idea to block those ports at the router. Even better would be a "deny everything by default" policy, and only allow access to certain ports as needed.

My opinion is you should block the port at the firewall unless there is a clear reason it should not be done.


Regards,
Jason

 

[SgtB]

There is no need to publish the Jetadmin port to the internet. You can always just start the jetadmin service when you need it, and then turn it off when you're done.
Do like Jason says though, block everything, then open the ports you need. ________________________________________
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