3 replies to this topic

[TheresaR]

Hello...I've come upon a website called AuditMyPC that tests your firewall for you. It indicated that my Internal IP address is obtainable by websites and: "This does not necessarily mean your firewall is malfunctioning or improperly configured. The method we used will sneak past most firewalls. Why? Because we use Java to grab the information and then pass it on to the server (Notice how everything ran without prompting you?)." It continues to say: "We used your internal IP for this demonstration because it's harmless (for the most part). Java passes this information to the server were it can be collected. Many claim this is not possible and that only you can see this information, so to prove the point, we included the last 20 internal IP addresses that this server has seen. To verify this information, simply tell a friend your Private IP and have them visit this page shortly after you do - they'll see your IP included in the list." So, should I be concerned about this? I get about 45-50 spams a day in my Yahoo Spam folder. Could this be why? I'm also totally confused because I am using a wireless connection that runs through a router. I thought that this was another firewall that would protect me further than the software I have. I'm wondering if 1) is this site is to be trusted? and 2) do I need this Patch Management software it suggests I get? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks, Theresa

[shelf life]

hi,

using both a router and a software firewall is good.
a private ip (behind a router 192.168...) is not routable. the fact it maybe exposed by java isnt a threat, neither is someone knowing your external ip address.

http://www.danasoft.com/vipersig.jpg

http://gemal.dk/browserspy/

[TheresaR]

Hello again. Thanks for your quick response! I checked out those two sites and they were able to get my external IP address, which I know is not a threat, but auditmypc was able to get my internal (which starts with 172.16...). I checked, and this is my assigned address. Is this still not a big deal? And, it doesn't look like my router has masked my address because wouldn't it start with 192.168...? Sorry for my lack of knowledge - I'm so thankful for your service! Theresa

[shelf life]

hi,

its not a big deal. its still a private ip address.

some links; (for firewall info)

https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

http://www.wilders.org/firewalls.htm

http://www.pcflank.com/test.htm

http://scan.sygate.com/