WHO is (Illegally)? looking into YOUR Personal Computer?
(A service of the Roller Sports Web International)
ADDED 9/22/2002
PLEASE NOTE - I have received several emails expressing concern that ALL port scans are MALICIOUS "Hacker Attempts". THIS IS NOT TRUE, and is NOT the intent of this notice.
The point of this notice is that ALL port scans that are NOT AUTHORIZED by you, the owner of the computer being scanned may be an invasion of your privacy and a violation of Federal Laws of the USA.
Most of the port scans are NOT MALICOUS hacker attempts, HOWEVER they ALL ARE Hacking into your personal property! Also, please be advised that having a Firewall unit will NOT guarantee that someone will not be able to access your computer and wreak havoc!! A True "Hacker" is an extremely sophisticated and knowledgeable person, and has MANY ways of obtaining access to ANY computer if they truly wish to. (Including the Governments "Switching location" computer network)!
Suffice it to say that I have been in computers and computer "user groups" for a Looooonnnngg time and have met Many computer people who were Very Intelligent in computer technology, so I DO speak with some authority.
It is a Fact that a port scan is one of the Easiest ways to access your computer, making it easy for even a beginner to do so. Thats why I recommend getting firewall hardware. And don't be fooled by the pop-up ad that tells you your computer is "Broadcasting your internet address" so you should buy their software to protect yourself!
EVERY TIME you access the Internet, your computer ALWAYS broadcasts your address, WITH or WITHOUT their software. Without that "broadcast" the internet server computers would have No Idea where to send data "packets" of information to you, or be able to accept information or "information requests" from your machine! (Browser, Email, Etc.).
UPDATE - 9/12/2002
The following is a copy of an entry in the RS Web Guestbook & my comments on it, concerning the unauthorized Port Scans that are occurring on all of our Personal computers, every day.
Your information on Port Scanning isn't entirely correct, it gives the impression that ALL port scans are hack attemps specifically aimed at a person. This isn't true, port scans are simply asking if ports are open. Some port scans are used by ISP's to discover level of threat of a new attack (such as my ISP conducted a port scan of NetBIOS ports) as well as HTTP server port 80 to determine if attacks aimed at those ports were a high threat to users on their system. Companies do the same thing, at times college researchers do this to the Internet at large. ISP's who wish to block servers often do random port scanning to "flag" users who are running servers without permission. These legitimate port scans should be mentioned, as they are not hack attamps.
David <cyclops@blue-covenant.homedns.org>
Anderson, CA 96007 -
David, I will agree that not all Port Scans are Hacker attempts. However, ALL port scans that are NOT AUTHORIZED before the fact by the computer owner smack of Invasion of Privacy, no matter WHO is using them nor for what purpose. Also, I am sure that you Know that port scans CAN be used for hacker purposes by those who wish to and have the capability. Insofar as HTTP port 80, I have so far Never intercepted a port 80 scan on my machine. Even though it is occasionally used here to broadcast streaming video on the internet. Again, I do Not claim that All port scans are hacking, but ANY post scan COULD BE used as a hacker interface to anyones machine, especially if they are not even notified beforehand and therefore are not even Aware of them. Thanks for your input. Dave Festa - Webmaster
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NOTE - I think it's clear from the previous page that the subject is NOT whether the Port Scans are Hacker attempts, but that they constitute, In My Opinion, ILLEGAL Invasions of Privacy by Non-Governmental entities.
To consider having companies look into our Personal computers without our previously giving consent is akin to having individuals enter our homes without our consent and believing that they are just checking to see if our electricity is working! or to have the Government walk into our homes to check if we MIGHT be violating the law, without due reason.
The question of WHY the Port Scans are done is NOT the point. The point IS that they appear to be ILLEGAL, without our PRIOR CONSENT!
© Copyright 1997 - 2002 Dave Festa
