Questions that are most frequently asked by our visitors:

Your test says my browser privacy is 0%. What can I do?

To score 100% on the Browser Privacy check you have to set your firewall or browser to block cookies and referrer.

My firewall fails your Stealth Test, is there any way to set it to pass the test?

We have checked how most popular firewalls do agains PC Flank's Stealth test and unexpectedly only four firewalls were able to pass the test: Agnitum Outpost, Look'n'Stop, Sygate and ZoneAlarm. So if you use one of these firewalls you have to set it to make your computer ports "stealth" and you will pass the test. If you use other firewall most likely it is no way to configure it to pass the test until the developers release an update with proper fixes.

Your test easily detects my PC's IP address. As far as I can see that means that anyone else can see anything that your test can. So how can I make my IP address hidden while being on-line?

The accessibility of your system's IP address does not mean that there's real security risk. In order to use the Internet at all, data must be able to find its way back to your PC. To find its way to your computer data should know your unique IP address. Actually this necessarily means some degree of security vulnerability, but only as much as is absolutely required for any type of "connection" to resources of the Internet. The best thing to do is to follow the security recommendations we provide. What we also recommend you to do is to put your computer in stealth mode so crackers would not be able to detect if there is any user using this IP address. This can be done with a help of firewall.

In your test you ask me to verify my true IP address, but how can I do it?

To find your IP address:

If you use Windows 95, 98 or Windows Me click on the Windows Start button and select Run..., then type into the space labelled "Open" the following: winipcfg and click on the "OK" button.

If you use Windows NT or Windows 2000 click on the Windows Start button and select Run..., then type into the space labelled "Open" the following: ipconfig and click on the "OK" button.

If you use Windows XP click on the Windows Start button and select Run..., then type into the space labelled "Open" the following: cmd and click on the "OK" button. At the command prompt, type ipconfig. The cmd window now shows your IP address.

What is port scanning?

Scanning is an attempt to establish a connection with your computer via certain port. It is like checking if there are open windows and doors in your house. To establish a connection (to get into your house) intruders need to find a port (door) that is open. If they find such port (door) then they can use these ports to transmit some data that can hang up your computer. The intruders can also use such ports to access to your files or to execute any command on your system.

What are some of the major risks that I need to protect my computer from?

1.   Trojan horses, backdoors - allow to get full access to the user's computer
2.    Web active content (ActiveX, Java) - can be used to crash the user's browser or to damage the user's system. Also can be used to install backdoor program on to your system.
3.   Cookies and referrers - can track your surfing habits and Internet usage characteristics without user's consent or knowledge.
4.   Exploits - used to hang up the user's computer or can bring so called Windows Blue Screen (Error Message).


To find out if your system is vulnerable to such threats go to Test Your System.

Why do I need a firewall?

The more visible your machine is on the Internet, the easier target to attack it becomes. Many intruders scan the Internet throughout the day looking for remote computers to attack. A firewall makes your system much more secure and less visible to such persons. Firewall lets you decide what communication you do not allow giving you're the whole control under your incoming and outcoming traffic. To learn more about firewalls please read Firewalls and Which software to choose?

Can I still download files through the Internet after implementing security measures you recommended?

Yes, you can. There will be no affect on your ability to use the Internet's facilities, file transfer, web browsing, etc. However, it will be good for you to check downloaded software for viruses if the source is suspicious.

Can cookies be used maliciously?

Cookies are created to store information that you have provided at while online, which could be a unique number to identify you on a website, your name, address, special preferences, etc. Most browsers protect against misuse of the data contained in cookies, such that only the site that stored the information can access it later. However, new and usually obscure techniques are found by the security and hacking communities on occasion that can permit misuse of cookies.

I have a personal firewall installed. But as your test says my port 139 is still open. Do you know why this port is still open?

Different firewalls may choose differently to leave Windows NetBIOS file and printer sharing open or closed with their default settings. So, just installing a firewall doesn't instantly protect you. The firewall should be properly configured to determine what you want to be protected from! Therefore, you need to configure the software's settings to determine how to close external access to the dangerous NetBIOS ports 137, 138, and 139.

I think my computer is already infected by a Trojan horse virus. What should I do?

Buy and install good antivirus or anti-trojan software to remove Trojan from your system. Then we also recommend you to buy and install personal firewall program. Since a firewall checks, scans, and blocks traffic flowing both ways through it, both into and out of your system, you should be able to easily prevent unauthorized communication by a Trojan horse program if it infects your computer again.

What is SSL?

SSL means Secure Socket Layer. SSL is secure communications protocol for transmitting private documents via the Internet. SSL provides a mutually authenticated, encrypted channel between the parties engaged in the communication. It operates at the session level, on top of TCP. Conceptually, an SSL connection is like a secure data channel. Many Web sites use the protocol to obtain confidential information, such as credit card numbers. Web pages that require an SSL connection start with "https:" instead of "http:".