Security Issues with Apache on Dialup

[KingofSnake]

I followed GoBoating's FAQ (Which was very helpful btw), and got cgi scripts to work on my windows machine.

I wanted to ask... How safe is it to run the apache server over my dial up? I was just curious. Could hackers enter my system somehow? Or is such an event negligable.

Thank you.
KingOfSnake - The only sports drink with ice crystals
(and marshmellos!)

 

[goBoating]

Running Apache or not running Apache is irrelevant.

If you are connected to a network (the internet is a network), then others on that network can attempt to access your machine either via authorized methods (shared drives) or via unauthorized methods. That is true with and without Apache. The real question is "is the dial-up connection safe?". Most dial up (DU) connections recieve an IP address from a pool of addresses from the ISP. Since DUs are generally used for short periods of time and then the machine disappears only to reappear with a different IP, it makes attacking such a machine a little more difficult than attacking one with a static IP. Cable and DSL are much more exposed than a DU just because they are up when ever the computer is booted and they tend to keep the same IP for longer periods. Any computer connected to the internet is vulnerable. DU connections are just more of a pain to hack and are not likely to stay up for long periods of time.

If you plan to have your machine online for extended periods, I would suggest a firewall. There are a few "free for personal use" firewalls available. I use ZoneLabs' ZoneAlarm. It has received good write-ups in several reviews and is "free for personal use". I expect there are others.

HTH



keep the rudder amid ship and beware the odd typo

 

[KingofSnake]

I feel enlightened. Thank you.
KingOfSnake - The only sports drink with ice crystals
(and marshmellos!)

 

[goBoating]

An addition.....

Given the above...... any time you add a piece of software that makes/uses connections to the network (read internet) you potentially add mechanisms that can be exploited by hackers. So, while the larger issue of security is not Apache specific, the addition of any specific application to your machine can/does make the machine less secure. The installation of Apache might make the machine less secure.... the installation of poorly written CGI code can open gaping holes. Also, the Apache docs for the Win32 ports recommend against using them as public servers. They are good for using 'at home' for developing applications, but, are possibly not suitable for general use.

HTH


keep the rudder amid ship and beware the odd typo