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  • From: Stephen Clement <s.clement AT sympatico.ca>
  • To: baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [BL] HTTPD
  • Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 22:01:50 -0500

David Moberg wrote:

**snip-snip**

What is the probability of someone else breaking into my computer
even if I am doing everything wrong (running telnetd and httpd,
going online as root, using telnet not ssh, etc.) when I am dialed
into the internet with BL3 or BL2?

If you're dialed in for a minute or so, very small. If you stay connected
for a year, very high.

How about for 2 hours?

I really wouldn't recommend it. Really wouldn't.


Go on for 2 hours every day for a week, and I can almost guarantee that
someone
will have at least tested how secure your system is, if not tried to abuse it.

David

To give you a good idea of just how bad the situation is, i'll give you some real-world statistics, from my box. I run sshd on my desktop linux computer (BLAG 10000, it's a modern full-blown 1 CD distro). I have an always on Internet connection. ssh connections are allowed from anywhere, and I have root login disabled (but the scanners don't know this!)

I have been scanned approximately 60 times in the past 3 days. I only get attacked about once a week, and the attackers have never been successful. By attacked, I mean mass-guessing passwords, 100+ times. Most scanners give up after 15 guesses or so. Note, this is only info about my SSH server, never mind my FTP server (the latest vsftpd).

So, 60 guesses divided by 72 hours is 0.83. That means, about once per 50 minutes. That's just plain scary. Setting up a telnet server considering how often people get scanned is just crazy. It's your decision.

Thanks,

Stephen Clement




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