Self port scanning tool: providing a more secure computing environment through the use of proactive port scanning

Secure computing is a necessity in the hostile environment that the Internet has become. Protection from nefarious individuals and organizations requires a solution that is more a methodology than a one time fix. One aspect of this methodology is having the knowledge of which network ports a computer has open to the world. These network ports are essentially the doorways from the Internet into the computer. An assessment method which uses the nmap software to scan ports has been developed to aid system administrators (SAs) with analysis of open ports on their system(s). Additionally, baselines for several operating systems have been developed so that SAs can compare their open ports to a baseline for a given operating system. Further, the tool is deployed on a Web site where SAs and users can request a port scan of their computer. The results are then emailed to the requester. This tool aids users, SAs, and security professionals by providing an overall picture of what services are running, what ports are open, potential trojan programs or back doors, and what ports can be closed.