Network
Insecure vs Secure Ports
There are some default Ports used when working on a network/server but most of these ports exists in a default way and a secure way. Here are some essential ports listed with it’s default number and it’s secured number.
| Insecure Port | Protocol | Description | Secure Port | Protocol | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | FTP | File Transfer Protocol (FTP) sends the username and password using plaintext from the client to the server. | 22 | SFTP | Uses encryption to protect the user credentials and packet of data being transferred. |
| 23 | Telnet | All information to & from the host on a telnet connection is sent in plaintext & cand be intercepted by an attacker. | 22 | Secure Shell | Secure Shell (SSH) on port 22 uses encryption to ensure that traffic between the host and terminal is not sent in plaintext format. |
| 25 | SMTP | Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is the default for sending email messages. Since it is unencrypted, data contained within the emails could be discovered by network sniffing. | 587 | SMTP | The secure alternative is to use port 587 for SMTP using Transport Layer Security (TLS) which will encrypt the data between the mail client and the mail server. |
| 37 | Time | Time Protocol may be in use by legacy equipment and has mostly been replaced by using port 123 for Network Time Protocol (NTP). | 123 | NTP | NTP on port 123 offers between errorhandling capabilities, which reduces the likelihood of unexpected errors. |
| 53 | DNS | Domain Name Service (DNS) is still used widely. | 853 | DoT | However using DNS over TLS (DoT) on port 853 protects DNS information from being modified in transit. |
| 80 | HTTP | Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the basis of nearly all web browser traffic on the internet. Information sent via HTTP is not encrypted and is susceptible to sniffing attacks. | 443 | HTTPS | HTTPS using TLS encryption is preferred as it protects the data in transit between the server and the browser. |
| 143 | IMAP | Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is a protocol used for retrieving emails. IMAP traffic on port 142 is not encrypted and susceptible to network sniffing. | 993 | IMAP | The secure alterative is to use port 993 for IMAP which adds SSL/TLS security to encrypt the data between the mail client and the mail server. |
| 445 | SMB | Server Message Block (SMB) is used by many versions of Windows for accessing files over the network. Files are transmitted unencrypted. | 2049 | NFS | Network File System (NFS). Although NDS can use encryption it is recommended that NFS not be allowed through firewalls either. |
| 389 | LDAP | Lightweight Directory Access Portocol (LDAP) is used to communicate directory information from servers to clients. Since LDAP is not encrpyted it is susceptible to sniffing and manipulation attacks. | 636 | LDAPS | Lightweight Directory Access Portocol Secure (LDAPS) adds SSL/TLS LDAPS Security to protect the information while it is in transit. |
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