Security Basics: Re: RE: Private IP address with yahoo messenger

[davegray99 () hotmail com]

Go to sysinternals.com and download some of the logging software packages.  Process Explorer is a good one, and TCP 
View, which will show the process and the network activity for that process.  You can also download and install 
Ethereal, perform a capture of your network traffic while chatting online with someone to see how your ip address is 
NAT'd.  Are you sure you are behind a router that performs NAT?  You may also be comprimised as another poster has 
stated.  There are many tools on sysinternals u can use to evaluate what is going on on your system.  Perhaps the 
easiest way would be to run a scan against your system from another computer on your network.  If you have a secondary 
system, download Nessus from Nessus.org, its free, scan your other box for vulnerabilities.  You can also download GFI 
Landguard, which I like to use to show open communications ports and sometimes shows very quickly when a box is 
comprimised as some of the ports when queried return obvious hacke
 r banners.  Either way, I would recommend using a host based IDS, like mcafee personal firewall.  With an HIDS, you 
can restrict network connections and also use the application hook in option to limit executables from executing.  
Theoritically, if you only allow trusted apps to run, malicous code will not be able to run.  Unless of course it can 
bypass the HIDS or fool it somehow by using an executable you have already authorized, although there is built in 
protection for that as well.  In the end, the weakest link may be yourself, as you download and install applications 
that are really trojans and allow them to run.  Good luck.