Moment of Truth?

[Net Llama!]

koko wrote:
> For 3 years now, I have run my home network through a DOS box (386SX) 
> using Dave Mischler's IPRoute on DOS 6.22.  I have considered it an 
> effective firewall due to the fact that it is DOS and I believe that the 
> general threat is from script kiddies looking for an operating system 
> they understand.  Perhaps naive, but nothing has happened to me.  If I 
> need to be set straight, let me know.  I don't have anything really 
> valuable inside, no home business or anything, just several machines for 
> the boys, wife and my mixed bag of Linux, W2K, NT and W98 that I try to 

Ask yourself this:
If all the harddrives of all of your boxes suddenly were erased, would 
you care?
If you can answer no, then you've got nothing valuable.  Otherwise, you 
need to be concerned.  People don't break into boxes just to steal data. 
  More often than not, its just for malice.

> learn from.  The 386 went down and I need a new gateway.  The most 
> likely prospect is my recently installed RH 7.2.  I will read the 
> Steps/HOWTOs on firewalls, IPchains, IPTables etc., I promise.  In the 
> meantime, are there any immediate steps I can or should take if I use my 
> RH 7.2 box as gateway?   I fully understand how to enable the RH machine 
> to act as the gateway, and know command lines better than RH GUI 
> operations.  But I've never set up any firewalls or filters with Linux.  
> I'm ready to educate myself with HOWTOs and Steps but thought it would 
> be prudent to ask if I should do something now. 
>  
> I received my access via cable modem (Toshiba 1100U) to DOS box, thence 
> to Linksys Etherfast 10/100 Workgroup Switch, thence to my home network 
> via CAT V cable. 
>  
> If I'm relatively safe until I can RTFM on IPTables and firewalls, thats 
> fine.  I'd just appreciate the advice.
>  
> Parenthetically, I haven't attempted to crack other machines, as others 
> are apparently willing to try to do to mine.  Is there a site or Steps 
> that tells me how I can experiment with my home network? I keep hearing 
> how easy it is to get into MS machines.  So, using my RH 6.2 or RH 7.2 
> boxes, where can I find information on how to exploit or highlight the 
> vulnerabilities on my network, whether Linux to MS machines, Linux to 
> Linux etc?

nmap will show you which ports you have open.  As for vulnerabilities, 
you need to go to ftp://updates.redhat.com and make sure that everything 
you have is current.  Otherwise, you are most likely vulnerable somewhere.

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
L. Friedman                       	       netllama at linux-sxs.org
Linux Step-by-step & TyGeMo: 		    http://netllama.ipfox.com

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