Big Risk?

[MindGem]

Hi,

I use utorrent for a long time now but i always had a low down/up speed because i didn't open a port.

Now after 2 years i decided to open one.

And it worked.

Faster download/upload speed.

BUT now my computer is extra vulnerable to hackers Isn't it?

In my router i opened the port in Virtual Servers, Not in port triggering.

I'm very scared that my pc is going to be attacked, and i REALLY don't want that because i do a lot of business and stuff on my PC, and i really don't a hacker to get that information.

Help me pls?

Is this true? What can i do to make my PC invulnerable to hackers?

Or do I've to close the port every time i exit utorrent?

Or is the risk that a hackers finds my port like 1/100000000000000

I only opened 1 port.

I hope you guys can help me with this problem.

-MindGem

[Lord Alderaan]

No you are not at risk.

Opening a port pretty much only opens you up to vulnerabilities (aka exploits) in the listening application (in this case µtorrent).

The current version of µtorrent has no known exploits. So you are safe.

[MindGem]

But what if someone does a port scan? :S

[schnurlos]

Then he knows your open port.

But this port is only open (=forwarded) for the utorrent programm - and without any (up to now known) exploit you should have not problem.

[moogly]

Plus the router firewall.

[Switeck]

Microsoft Windows is crawling with known security holes that makes web surfing FAR more risky than uTorrent being port forwarded.

Backup critical data.

BitTorrent the rest.

[Ultima]

Port forwarding isn't just "open the door for people to come in". Port forwarding is "put a net around the door to catch visitors, and open the door". That "net" is the application listening to the port (in this case, µTorrent). If the net has a security hole, then yes, unwanted visitors can get in. If not, then the net should be doing its job and catching wanted visits, and ignoring unwanted visits.