Opening Ports

[Arntzen]

I'm not a computer guy, so my question to you guys is: What does opening ports mean? If u open the 3 ports needed for EE, what can Internett hackers do?

Ps, I know how to do this, just not allowed due the fact that either me or my family know what can happend after they are open.

[Omega]

I'm not a computer guy, so my question to you guys is: What does opening ports mean? If u open the 3 ports needed for EE, what can Internett hackers do?

Ps, I know how to do this, just not allowed due the fact that either me or my family know what can happend after they are open.

Opening a port merely configures it to accept packets, as opposed to ignoring packets.

If you open the ports for EE, your computer is not more vulnerable from any standpoint that matters in reality to a hacking attempt, because Port 80 is ALWAYS open NO MATTER WHAT, so if you're a hacker, what port are you going to pick? The target you know is always going to be open, on every single machine and is just as good as the ports for EE, or the ports for EE that are almost always closed?

Plus, you have a big misconception about what most "hackers" actually do. If you want to steal someone's data/mess up their computer, you make a half-legitimate seeming website (think "FREE MAGIC CREDIT CARD DEBT FIX") and get someone to download something like shady free software ("MAGIC DEBT FIXING APPLICATION") that doesn't even work but contains a virus. Basically, you prey on people who are stupid or desperate (usually some combination) and get them to download and install your virus themselves. Someone breaking into someone else's computer via the internet (without some virus being on that computer installed by the user that gives the hacker access) is basically unheard of, and something you don't really need to worry about unless you're like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or some other big shot that may have extremely valuable information on their computer.

Basically, don't worry about it at all, becuase it's like worrying you're going to get struck by lightning on a cloudless day because you're 3 nanometers above the average ground height. It's theoretically more likely, but the change in risk vs. standing a whole 3 nanometers lower is so insanely small there isn't even a point in considering it (assuming you could even NOTICE a 3 nanometer difference)--hell, if you hiked up large hill in the same conditions it honestly wouldn't even appreciably increase the risk of getting struck by lightning.

[Arntzen]

Thanks Omega, this was very helpfull!