I have just recently heard about a program that let's you acess your PC from any other PC in the world. http://www.gotomypc.com Originally set up so workers can access their office PC from their homes, I have been thinking that it would work for me here so I could acesss my home PC.
My question is
How safe is this?
How vunerable I am to others hacking into my system while using this program?
One of the attorneys here at work uses it. I know absolutely nothing else about the program beyond that, however, I don't think she would use it if she wasn't very confident about the security level.
My son has a friend who can (doesn't do this regularly-but has the knowledge to) hack into any desktop if he wants...it works on the same language code.. for your sake, I hope it has a firewall of some kind.
Go To My PC bypasses firewalls. Last company I worked at we had to blacklist them in our firewall config because people were setting it up on company PCs.
Basically, the way it works is you install their software on your PC. This software initiates a connection to Go To My PC's servers. When you want to connect to your pc, you connect with GTMPC's servers, which loops you back over the open connection from your PC.
You're giving GTMPC full remote access to your PC. If you trust the company and are sure they have proper security measures in place, then it's fine. But it really doesn't belong in a corporate network unless some pretty detailed NDA's and security agreements with GTMPC are in place.
The reason it can bypass a firewall is because the PC initiates a connection to GTMPC over port 80. This port is supposed to be for web surfing. Web servers listen on this port and return web pages back to whichever PC requested it. GTMPC uses port 80 since it is usually open for outbound traffic on a firewalled network (so people can surf the net), but they violate it's use by allowing 3rd party traffic to come back over the connection. Even worse, that traffic has full access to the PC.
If you need to access your pc from a remote location and you have XP pro, you can use remote desktop. Just make sure you change the default port it listens on and use STRONG passwords. I can't emphasize that enough...USE STRONG PASSWORDS! It amazes me how many people I run across who have a live connection (as in always-on, like cable for example) and have a lame password like thier wife's name, or in some cases, no password at all. BIG security no-no! I know, at first glance a password like rl5#54y!0pq_L seems impossible to remember but after you type it a few hundred times, you will remember it.
HERE is a Micro$oft article on how to change the port that remote desktop listens on.
My employer uses the pro version of GoToMyPC for something...I've never used it, but we are required by the Department of Homeland Security to maintain decent security on our network. They audit us sometimes. As a result, I would assume that the software is ok, even though I've never used it myself.
Great overview G-Tech, thanks. At my company we use Net Op Guest/Host to access users systems. Inside a secured network it works great.
Strong Passwords, can't agree more. A combination of numbers, letters and characters works well. Many people have trouble with remembering their passwords built that way - a tip I offer is to use a version of the email format -
A2007@Vol123
or
A7002#LoV321
and where the numbers and letters are more random, of course. That, and changing it regularly to alternate between certain combinations can help remembering.
I have heard that gotmypc is useful in certain situations, briefly and for specific uses. Are there others that could be recommended too?
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Abigail
One of the attorneys here at work uses it. I know absolutely nothing else about the program beyond that, however, I don't think she would use it if she wasn't very confident about the security level.
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washingtonweather
My son has a friend who can (doesn't do this regularly-but has the knowledge to) hack into any desktop if he wants...it works on the same language code.. for your sake, I hope it has a firewall of some kind.
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GT
Go To My PC bypasses firewalls. Last company I worked at we had to blacklist them in our firewall config because people were setting it up on company PCs.
Basically, the way it works is you install their software on your PC. This software initiates a connection to Go To My PC's servers. When you want to connect to your pc, you connect with GTMPC's servers, which loops you back over the open connection from your PC.
You're giving GTMPC full remote access to your PC. If you trust the company and are sure they have proper security measures in place, then it's fine. But it really doesn't belong in a corporate network unless some pretty detailed NDA's and security agreements with GTMPC are in place.
The reason it can bypass a firewall is because the PC initiates a connection to GTMPC over port 80. This port is supposed to be for web surfing. Web servers listen on this port and return web pages back to whichever PC requested it. GTMPC uses port 80 since it is usually open for outbound traffic on a firewalled network (so people can surf the net), but they violate it's use by allowing 3rd party traffic to come back over the connection. Even worse, that traffic has full access to the PC.
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likeaneagle
so if someone has my isp address they can access my computer
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templelady
Just from what I've read My PC at home shall remain safe behind it's firewall awaiting my return. Thanks "guys" for your responses
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Bluzeman
If you need to access your pc from a remote location and you have XP pro, you can use remote desktop. Just make sure you change the default port it listens on and use STRONG passwords. I can't emphasize that enough...USE STRONG PASSWORDS! It amazes me how many people I run across who have a live connection (as in always-on, like cable for example) and have a lame password like thier wife's name, or in some cases, no password at all. BIG security no-no! I know, at first glance a password like rl5#54y!0pq_L seems impossible to remember but after you type it a few hundred times, you will remember it.
HERE is a Micro$oft article on how to change the port that remote desktop listens on.
Rick
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Mister P-Mosh
My employer uses the pro version of GoToMyPC for something...I've never used it, but we are required by the Department of Homeland Security to maintain decent security on our network. They audit us sometimes. As a result, I would assume that the software is ok, even though I've never used it myself.
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socks
Great overview G-Tech, thanks. At my company we use Net Op Guest/Host to access users systems. Inside a secured network it works great.
Strong Passwords, can't agree more. A combination of numbers, letters and characters works well. Many people have trouble with remembering their passwords built that way - a tip I offer is to use a version of the email format -
A2007@Vol123
or
A7002#LoV321
and where the numbers and letters are more random, of course. That, and changing it regularly to alternate between certain combinations can help remembering.
I have heard that gotmypc is useful in certain situations, briefly and for specific uses. Are there others that could be recommended too?
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