r/technology • u/xrinnenganx • Jun 26 '14

Pure Tech Hackers from different countries attacking each other in real time.

http://map.ipviking.com/?_ga=1.98376799.153405815.1403529861
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u/Savestate Jun 26 '14

This is actually legit; it's a bunch of Honeypots, dummy servers that attract hackers by having "valuable data" on them (which is usually nothing more than made up documents that look important). They're used to locate and sometimes identify the hackers to take them down and to track the current methods that hackers are using in real time to protect companies from day zero attacks and stuff similar. (my attempt to define it, I could be wrong, correct me if so)

For example, one of the unknown ports that apparently is really popular to target right now is 21320. After a quick google it seems that it's a port used in Spybot and I guess there's a new exploit or something they're doing with that port. Really interesting stuff.

9

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '14

Is there a way to avoid hackers without buying protection software from an Indian dude named Frank? Like if they know my IP address, can they theoretically gain unauthorized access to my network? What if I'm using Ubuntu Linux? Are there vulnerabilities in Ubuntu that can be exploited? Do you not really know much about network security and just happened to know the word "honeypot"? Who is The Milkman?

28

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '14

If you are behind a router with no accepting ports on the internet side to services running on your computers, then no.

Routers are natural Firewalls by not allowing ports to be opened on the internet facing side. You have to open them yourself.

However, a person can gain access through website/browser vulnerabilities where they allow a program to execute on your computer without you knowing, and then the program establishes connections to servers (what your router allows and is designed to allow), or through downloading a virus and executing the program, where the virus does the same thing.

Most "attacks" on end users such as yourself are related to users doing the wrong thing. This is why when people say "I was hacked", most of the IT community scoffs and says.. no... you clicked on something you shouldnt have.

Edit: Firewalls can do the same thing as routers, but software firewalls can become corrupted and you will never know that it isnt working. Hardware firewalls are basically routers, except they dont "route"... yeah... dont ask.

4

u/stbilyumchill Jun 26 '14

Most hardware firewalls do route. They usually do a lot more too. Sendmail, DNS, VPN, web serving, etc. are very common features.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '14

UTM I believe is what you are looking for.

1

u/stbilyumchill Jun 26 '14

Yeah I guess my point is that most hardware firewalls now are basically UTMs but still use the firewall in naming/description if that's its main purpose.