RE: Securing webmail - changing a port necessary to ensure security?

From: Joey Peloquin (jpelo1_at_jcpenney.com)
Date: 02/12/04

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    Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 09:36:53 -0600
To: "'Jennifer Fountain'" <jfountain@rbinc.com>, security-basics@securityfocus.com

    Jennifer,

    >>When configuring webemail (such as owa) that is using https,
    >>is it better to change the default port (443) to an uncommon
    >>port (20000)for security reasons?

    Running a well-known service on an unregistered port may protect you from
    "script-kiddies" looking only at the results from a range-scan (or not even
    looking, and simply plugging the results into a tool), but not a determined
    cracker that is deliberately targeting you.

    You're still susceptible to banner-grabbing and other enumeration
    techniques, unless you've taken steps to thwart those as well.

    IMO, your time is better spent securing the OS the service is running on,
    and the application or service itself, especially if we're talking about
    Windows.

    Joey Peloquin

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