Computer Ports: What You Should Know to Defend Yourself

The number one way a computer is exposed for nefarious uses online is by exploiting open ports on that system. Ports are names or “handles” given to various network connections your computer uses to communicate with other computers. For example, your connection to the Internet is through a port protocol called TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) using well-known ports such as HTTP or “port 80.” While it sounds complicated, the way all this works is actually fairly simple.