Computer Activities: Ping Sweeps and Port Scans - Essay Example

A ping sweep is a very fundamental scanning activity used to primarily determine the range of IP addresses that map to live hosts (TechTarget, 2002). Usually, we ping a computer to know the active presence of the desired host. However, ping sweeps do it for a multitude of computers. A ping sweep is also known as ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) sweep (TechTarget, 2002). Ping sweeps can be performed voluntarily by an organization to determine active hosts. Upon determination, we use this data to perform data transactions/sharing between desired active hosts.

It can also be performed by an outsider with an intention to drag information out of a computer database for wrong purposes. The process of knowing active hosts in the ping sweep is similar to an act where a pickpocket identifies his prey in a crowded bus (Murali, 2004). Every sweep is an attempt with hope. We can take stringent security measures to avoid responding to external pings.Once the computer responds to ping sweep, there begins the next process of port scanning. A Port scan is a process of sending messages to a port for determining the type of network services offered by the host (Ireland, S, 2009).

Upon receiving messages the ports respond with their status of being in use or being dormant. Depending upon this status information, the tuned port can now be used for hacking useful and often confidential information. The ports represent potential communication channels and thus we can explore the networked environments with ease (Fyodor, 1997). The effect of such network exploration can cost our organization its valuable information often considered confidential. We should take all possible measures to avert losses to our company from such hazardous activities.

Ping sweeps and port scans are often dangerous for networks handling sensitive information. As far as our organization is concerned, such activities should be consciously avoided from intruding into our system by taking precautionary measures. Such measures include setting up of firewall; by doing so we can bring a large number of attacks to a small number- refer the following diagram.Fig: A probable model with a firewall for security purposesWe can also follow a set of rules which allow giving responses only to desired scans.

Such as a port should be conditioned to listen only to certain signals and ignore all others. Countermeasures for ping sweeps and port scanning also include disabling unnecessary services so that these services do not become trapped in the port scanning process (Scrambay, J, McClure, S, p.67).In a nutshell, although ping sweeps and port scanning techniques are useful for internal data transactions, still they should be taken care of by using the above-mentioned techniques to safeguard organizational details from unwanted intrusions.