Re: [cobalt-users] PortSentry works !

[baltimoremd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

On Thu, 15 Mar 2001, Carrie Bartkowiak wrote:

> 
> But how effectively *does* portsentry lock them out?

That's a good question...I certainly don't know.

> I see them still banging away and portsentry says it's ignoring them. That
> worries me because as a newbie I'm not sure what *exactly* is going on here.

I get very confused with a lot of this stuff...and when I RTFM I usually
tirn towards the east and pray that someone learns how to write short
sentances that are easy to comprehend.

> I've also seen people posting this week saying "don't rely on portsentry to
> solve your problems or protect your box, it should just be a heads up as to
> what's going on". So that worries me too. If portsentry isn't effectively
> blocking these portscanners, which we could rely on to protect ourselves,
> then what is it doing?

Maybe subscribe to the cobalt-security list?

> 
> I'm asking for plain-speak here, not directions to RTFM.  Usually the FMs
> are *not* plain-speak and don't help me very much, if at all.

'nix and plain-speak may be mutually exclusive terms.

Another problem is the difficulties that occur when someone who knows a
lot attempts to share their knowledge with someone at the entry level of
the learning curve.  It is very difficult to "get down in the trenches"
when you're skipping from mountain top to mountain top.

Case in point...I came home today absolutely exhausted after teaching an
8 hour class to folks wanting to get their A + and none of them had any
computer skills.  It's not a reflection on them, but I found myself
having to Jump off the mountain top to get them up and running.

> Just please explain it to me in "stick the key in the ignition and turn it,
> and the car starts running" mode, not the guru-style way over my head mode.
> ;)

Yes, a "cook book" would be real handy.

> initialized so that I can put in the anti-spoofing sniglet of code I found
> in the FM. But past that I'm going to end up asking someone for help
> eventually.

And, when you do solve it...write it down in simple terms, put it up
somewhere, add the reference to it in your forum so that others at the low
end of the learning curve like myself can read it...we'll be thankful
that you did, and have a real appreciation for the loss of sleep, teeth
grinding, hair pulling, etc.