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  • Ports and security

    From nolageek@DIGDIST/BATTLEST/FREEWAY to All on Sunday, August 02, 2015 23:08:00
    I just moved the board to physical hardware in my apartment and I'm working on locking it down - I have peerblock running and am using it to block russia, czech republic, Romania, China, Taiwan and the Ukraine - that's where almost all of my crap connections come from. The docs are a little confusing so I wanted to ask here since I know others use it..

    I added these countries to the List Manager (along with a few others: spiders, Open Proxies, and the Cruzit Web Attacks lists) so far that's almost 450M IPs. I hope that's enough. :)

    Anyway, I get confused with the Port Settings tab - I think I have it correct since it seems to be working, but thought I'd confirm... on the Port Settings tab I have all Default Ports selected (they were not by default - 80,443,21,25,110) and I added some for the BBS in a group called "BBS Ports" - these include 22, 23, and 504 (which I use for another BBS). I have a check in this box as well and it's selected to "Allow from" Outgoing.

    By placing checks in these, am I disabling blocking these or enabling them? THe instructions weren't clear (to me at least.)

    Also, I do not allow my users to check mail via POP3, can I close that service altogether via Synchronet Control Panel or does network traffic use it for something? I figure SMPT needs to be enabled so that I can recieve email that is sent to the board from outside addresses.

    If POP3 is needed for the board to send out - I guess I could block incoming POP3 connections? I'm just sick of spammers hitting that port all day. :)

    |01-|03nolageek

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    þ Synchronet þ Capitol Shrill BBS - Washington, DC - capitolshrill.com
  • From Digital Man@DIGDIST/BATTLEST/FREEWAY to nolageek on Monday, August 03, 2015 16:28:00
    Re: Ports and security
    By: nolageek to All on Sun Aug 02 2015 11:08 pm

    Also, I do not allow my users to check mail via POP3, can I close that service altogether via Synchronet Control Panel or does network traffic use it for something?

    POP3 is only used for mail clients to "check" (and get) their email.

    I figure SMPT needs to be enabled so that I can recieve
    email that is sent to the board from outside addresses.

    SMTP, correct.

    If POP3 is needed for the board to send out - I guess I could block incoming POP3 connections? I'm just sick of spammers hitting that port all day. :)

    No, POP3 is not used for sending mail (i.e. from one server to another), it is only used for sending mail to a client's mail program and only upon request (incoming connection from the client's mail program).

    digital man

    Synchronet "Real Fact" #32:
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  • From Lord Time@DIGDIST/BATTLEST/FREEWAY to nolageek on Monday, August 03, 2015 16:15:00
    In a reply from nolageek on 23:08 about Ports and security

    Also, I do not allow my users to check mail via POP3, can I close that service altogether via Synchronet Control Panel or does network traffic use it for something? I figure SMPT needs to be enabled so that I can recieve email that is sent to the board from outside addresses.

    I do allow my use to and I even use it

    If POP3 is needed for the board to send out -

    pop3 is inbound

    smtp is outbound


    I guess I could block incoming
    POP3 connections? I'm just sick of spammers hitting that port all day. :)

    I have a account on my bbs call bot-time (it get 99% of the spam - it is set that way) and I just block the ip number & the e-mail accounts and the subject. and I have a e-mail program get the bot-time e-mail off my bbs and to it and then it get it own folder so I can block stuff on the bbs

    ---
    Rob Starr
    Lord Time SysOp of Time Warp of the Future BBS
    telnet://time.synchro.net:24
    ICQ # 11868133 Yahoo : lordtime2000
    AIM : LordTime20000 MSN : Lord Time
    Jabber : lordtime2000@gmail.com Astra : lord_time


    þ CMPQwk 1.42-R2 16554 þ All right... who siphoned the blood out of my cat?
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    þ Synchronet þ Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 IBBS Games
  • From Poindexter Fortran@DIGDIST/BATTLEST/FREEWAY to nolageek on Monday, August 03, 2015 18:46:00
    Re: Ports and security
    By: nolageek to All on Sun Aug 02 2015 11:08 pm

    I just moved the board to physical hardware in my apartment and I'm working on locking it down - I have peerblock running and am using it to block russia, czech republic, Romania, China, Taiwan and the Ukraine -

    That's a great idea. I've played with IP.CAN and copying IPs to a DD-WRT firewall script, but peerblock sounds like a great idea for on-the-fly blocking and control.

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    þ Synchronet þ realitycheckBBS -- http://realitycheckBBS.org
  • From nolageek@DIGDIST/BATTLEST/FREEWAY to Digital Man on Tuesday, August 04, 2015 12:27:00
    Re: Ports and security
    By: Digital Man to nolageek on Mon Aug 03 2015 04:28 pm

    POP3 is only used for mail clients to "check" (and get) their email.
    No, POP3 is not used for sending mail (i.e. from one server to another), it is only used for sending mail to a client's mail program and only upon request (incoming connection from the client's mail program).

    That's what I thought. But wanted to be sure. Thanks!

    |01-|03nolageek

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    þ Synchronet þ Capitol Shrill BBS - Washington, DC - capitolshrill.com
  • From nolageek@DIGDIST/BATTLEST/FREEWAY to Lord Time on Tuesday, August 04, 2015 12:32:00
    Re: Ports and security
    By: Lord Time to nolageek on Mon Aug 03 2015 04:15 pm

    If POP3 is needed for the board to send out -
    pop3 is inbound
    smtp is outbound

    I know that (I deal with POP3/SMTP all day every day) I confused my own words
    I think. I wasn't sure if the boards use POP3 to comminicate to each other or if it was just a convenience thing so i can check my mail with thunderbird, etc... If that's the case then i don't even want it running - more overhead, more open ports.

    For example, if I send an email to a user and it's forwarded to his gmail account and he emails me back.. I just dont want to break anything. :)

    |01-|03nolageek

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    þ Synchronet þ Capitol Shrill BBS - Washington, DC - capitolshrill.com
  • From nolageek@DIGDIST/BATTLEST/FREEWAY to Poindexter Fortran on Tuesday, August 04, 2015 12:34:00
    Re: Ports and security
    By: Poindexter Fortran to nolageek on Mon Aug 03 2015 06:46 pm

    I just moved the board to physical hardware in my apartment and I'm
    working on locking it down - I have peerblock running and am using
    it to block russia, czech republic, Romania, China, Taiwan and the
    Ukraine -

    That's a great idea. I've played with IP.CAN and copying IPs to a DD-WRT firewall script, but peerblock sounds like a great idea for on-the-fly blocking and control.

    So far it's working well, there's a little window where you can see which IPs have been blocked and I already have hundreds just from today, probably.

    Tons, mostly from China, Russia and the Ukraine.

    |01-|03nolageek

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    þ Synchronet þ Capitol Shrill BBS - Washington, DC - capitolshrill.com
  • From Lord Time@DIGDIST/BATTLEST/FREEWAY to nolageek on Wednesday, August 05, 2015 18:56:00
    In a reply from nolageek on 12:32 about Ports and security

    If POP3 is needed for the board to send out -

    pop3 is inbound
    smtp is outbound

    I know that (I deal with POP3/SMTP all day every day) I confused my own
    I words think.

    ok

    I wasn't sure if the boards use POP3 to comminicate to each
    other or if it was just a convenience thing so i can check my mail with thunderbird, etc... If that's the case then i don't even want it running - more overhead, more open ports.

    ok

    For example, if I send an email to a user and it's forwarded to his gmail account and he emails me back.. I just dont want to break anything. :)

    ok

    ---
    Rob Starr
    Lord Time SysOp of Time Warp of the Future BBS
    telnet://time.synchro.net:24
    ICQ # 11868133 Yahoo : lordtime2000
    AIM : LordTime20000 MSN : Lord Time
    Jabber : lordtime2000@gmail.com Astra : lord_time


    þ CMPQwk 1.42-R2 16554 þ TV Truth: Explosions in space make noise.
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    þ Synchronet þ Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 IBBS Games