It’s a bit difficult to tell whether your computer is protected from outside attack, or whether anyone can get through your defences and select from the smorgasbord of data on your hard drive.
After all, your router just sits and flashes lights at you. You don’t REALLY know whether it’s effective.
You can accurately test the effectiveness of your computer security by going to the Gibson Research site at www.grc.com . You can then run a range of online tests to find out the security level of your PC , laptops, etc.
Click on the "Shields Up" logo, and scroll down the page to the "Hot Spots" section. Then click on "Shields Up".
The first thing you’ll see is a request for your permission to try and access your system. These access tests are safe in our experience, and you agree to them by clicking on the "Proceed" button.
You should now be at the main "Shields Up" page, and can run a series of tests that show how well (or how poorly) your computer is protected from various internet attacks.
A comprehensive explanation of all tests is available if you scroll down the page.
Here’s the ones to try first:
1. File sharing: This test checks whether the files on your computer are visible to anyone on the internet. An appropriate message will appear after the test, giving you feedback.
2. Common Ports. Probes the most common electronic connections (Ports) on your computer. Ideally, you should see a green "Stealth" result beside each one if your firewall is working properly. If you see anything else, your computer is not as secure as it could be. (For a more comprehensive test which scans the first 1056 ports on your system, select "All Service Ports")
3. Messenger Spam: Tests how your computer handles the SPAM that comes through the messenger service. There’s also instructions on how to shut it off.
4. Browser Headers: find out what information your computer is giving to every site that you visit.
If the GRC tests indicate that your security needs improvement, make changes to the setup of your computer as discussed at GRC and try the tests again.
Note: Gibson Research is run by Steve Gibson, an almost legendary figure in the annals of PC security.
Authors bio is coming up shortly.