Open Ports: Does Your Business Have This Risky Backdoor for Hackers?

If you elect to have a vulnerability assessment run on your network, there are several details that it can uncover. One detail you might find is whether your network has open ports. Open ports refer to a type of digital “back door” that cybercriminals can exploit to breach your network.

Here’s an overview of what open ports are, how they can be exploited, and what you can do to secure them.

What Is an Open Port?

Ports refer to communication gateways where all network communications begin and end. They allow data to flow back and forth between devices, services and networks. In other words, ports will allow devices to specify what to do with data received from other devices or programs.

The term “open port” means the port will respond to connection requests. The key issue with open ports is that cybercriminals can easily find and exploit them. Hackers prefer open ports as they can spoof real programs and insert packets containing malware into them.

This would allow them to get into and take hold of your network.

Security of Closed Ports vs Open Ports

As opposed to open ports, closed ports are considered unreachable. There are no services “listening” to this type of port, so it will respond with a message saying that there is nothing there if you or someone else tries to access it.

Also called “blocked” or “stealth” ports, these aren’t protected by your firewall, but they do not have a program listening to them and access is therefore blocked.

However, there are some ways cybercriminals can breach closed ports. This is why stealth ports are considered more effective, as they make your server invisible to the internet. Think of each type of port like a safe.

A closed port is like a locked safe. Criminals can see or detect it but would have to jump through hoops to access its contents. A stealth port has an invisibility cloak on it, so not only is it nearly inaccessible without authentication, but it’s also completely hidden from threat actors.

How are Open Ports Found?      

During a network assessment, an MSP will conduct vulnerability testing to find gaps in your network including open ports. Port scanners are a common tool used to find these issues, along with dark web scanning tools designed to see if your credentials are on the dark web.

Network assessments are a great way to discover any vulnerabilities in your network. They're growing in popularity due to the rise in cyber attacks, as businesses push for more proactive cybersecurity. To learn more about what network assessments can uncover, read our blog: Network Assessments: What Insights Do They Reveal?

Vulnerability Scans vs Penetration Testing

Vulnerability assessments and penetration testing are common terms in the cybersecurity world, but you may wonder how they differ.

The difference between vulnerability scanning and penetration testing relates to their methodology for finding network security issues.

Vulnerability scanning focuses on finding existing flaws that pose the biggest cybersecurity risks to your network. Penetration testing, on the other hand, is more of an ethical hacking technique to simulate a real attack in order to test your network's security. To learn more about different types of hacking for various purposes, read our blog: The Surprising Motives and Ethics of Hacking.

Both methods are intended to enhance your network security by uncovering weaknesses hackers could exploit. You can read more about vulnerability testing vs penetration testing in our blog: Penetration Testing vs. Vulnerability Assessment―Which is Best For You?

What Can Happen If My Network Has Open Ports?

As IT providers will tell you, the presence of open ports is a big problem for your cybersecurity. It’s like leaving the door of your home unlocked, so hackers could walk right in with very little resistance. If a hacker discovers an open port on your network, they could inject malware into your network or steal sensitive data.

Hackers are often inside a business network for months before they reveal themselves. By then, they have already compromised sensitive data. Often, they will take over your network when you're least prepared to detect the attack, such as on a Friday afternoon before a major holiday.

Although you should always practice proactive cybersecurity, it's also important to have an action plan in case of a cyber attack. To read about how to create a cyber incident response plan, read our blog: Key Players in Your Cyber Incident Response Plan.

Find Any Open Ports Before Cybercriminals Do

The goal of cybersecurity is not to become impervious to hackers. Rather, it is to have enough security in place that cybercriminals move on to target a less secure network.

With that said, cybercriminals find new ways to get around common security tools every day. This means you'll need an agile team of experts to help you implement the latest security patches, threat detection, and cybersecurity tools.

If you're ready to tackle cybersecurity with the help of seasoned IT experts, click the button below to get started.