Tools: Sites to test personal firewalls for holes

From...

by Scott Spanbauer

(IDG) -- If you've spent any time looking into cable modems, DSL, satellite, or some other always-on Internet-access technology, you've probably heard over and over that you need to install and use a personal firewall -- either firmware inside your access device, or software such as Network ICE's BlackICE Defender, Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm, or Symantec's Norton Internet Security.

Although a firewall may be sufficient to keep intruders from accessing your system remotely, how can you be certain? One quick way is to visit a Web site that will test your system and try to find Internet security flaws just as a cracker would.

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Steve Gibson's free Shields Up service at shieldsup.grc.com tests common port addresses on your system and issues a report on your hacker vulnerability. Gibson clearly explains complex Internet-security technologies in plain English. And if you have firewall software running on your system, you'll get a report listing all the probes that originated from the Shields Up site.

Shields Up checks only a handful of your system's thousands of possible ports, however. If you are interested in a more thorough probe, give the incredible HackerWhacker service a try.

HackerWhacker offers a higher level of security by scanning your PC's entire range of more than 130,000 possible port addresses. It also examines Windows' NetBIOS networking configuration. HackerWhacker provides a complementary trial scan, but additional scans cost $10 apiece. Alternatively, you can pay $30 for a three-month Home Computer Membership, which gives you unlimited scans. The peace of mind that the service offers is unrivaled.

McAfee creates global map to track viruses
February 9, 2001
Hacker attacks: You can never be too safe
November 1, 2000
Zone Labs releases version of firewall for smaller networks
August 24, 2000
Analysis: Protect online privacy with these tools
August 18, 2000
Insulate your PC from hackers
August 10, 2000
Getting to the root of network security
July 12, 2000
How personal firewalls work
June 21, 2000
Should you be using distributed firewalls?
June 21, 2000

How a firewall works
(Network World Fusion)
Firewalls plug holes revealed by security test
(PCWorld.com)
Meet remote-office security needs with VPN and firewalls
(InfoWorld.com)
Personal firewalls keep intruders at bay
(PCWorld.com)
Firewall/VPNs: Your network dead-bolt
(InfoWorld.com)
Security, the way it should be
(Computerworld)
Popular firewall vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks
(Computerworld)
Is your OS ready for a firewall?
(SunWorld)

Shields Up
HackerWhacker.com

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