Windows Firewall / IIS / Network users

[rrhandle]

I have IIS running on a pc (Office1) on our in-house network. It works fine. I enabled Windows Firewall, and no one can get to the intranet site on Office1. I then set out to find what I needed to do to enable our users to get through the firewall, but I have gotten no place; only more confused. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

 

[maxthedork]

In Control Panel / Windows Firewal, click on the Exceptions tab, click Add Port, name the port IIS and assign TCP port # 80. Save it, make sure the checkbox is checked, and save your Windows Firewall settings.

That's if your users are accessing the intranet using the default HTTP port 80. If you're using HTTPS do the same but with port 443.

 

[rrhandle]

Thanks!
By openning that port, am I put the pc at any risk from the "outside"?

 

[Auger282]

the only way to be 99.9% secure is to unplug

any big risk.. I would doubt it.. but you could get dos'ed or if your iis isnt up to date someone could use something to hack your iis.

Make sure you are up to date and you have some form of protection

 

[maxthedork]

What kind of isolation are you using from the outside world? You said this was an "in-house" PC. NAT? Firewall? If your IIS computer is behind the firewall using a private IP address, I'd say it's fairly safe.

 

[rrhandle]

Well, thanks again, and to answer your question, I am really not sure. I am a Software Developer who has been asked to setup an in-house computer to do automated backups and host an intranet site. When it comes to security / network configurations / and all that stuff, I usually hand it off to one of you SysAdmin Gods. Unfortuantely, my client does not have one.

Well, that was a little more than you asked for. In are the specs:
--Client has internet access through Road Runner.
--Total of 8 workstations in-house connected through router.
--All PCs are shared.
--Some PCs have anti-virus software, some don't.

 

[mlconley]

any time you open a port, you have some amount of risk, however, if you don't open the ports needed to work, you just have yourself a boat anchor.

If you have your car encased in concrete, nobody will be able to break in to steal your radio, but it has no purpose if you can't drive it.

You're running IIS and your computer is as secure as IIS. Not that I have tremendous confidence in Microsoft's security. Make sure you have all of the latest patches and updates and open up port 80 so the computer will be usefull.