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Comment by ashitlerferad | Hacker News Reader

I wouldn't use untrusted computers to access my servers.

This. If you're typing in your password on a library computer, you're very vulnerable.

My first server was totally exposed in the DMZ. I ran windows RDP with the password "supersecret" for a long time also. I remember at one point also realizing that I could login to ftp anonymously. It was horrendous security in those early days and I had no idea what the heck I was doing.

Don't scare everybody off because it's not a best practice. If his/her server gets pwned they'll fix, learn, and move on.

A password is fine for your fun server. It's not super secure. It you're probably not interesting enough to get pwned using it.

The problem is insecure PCs and servers are a net negative for the Internet as a whole.

I'm now on a fast enough connection with good enough hardware that if you were able to get into one of my desktops or even just the router I'd be inadvertently sending out a lot of spam or "donating" a lot of bandwidth to a DDoS.

Also, scans of the entire IPv4 internet take less than an hour now, so there's absolutely no security-through-obscurity.

This is wrong. Compromised servers often become part of bot nets that cause real damage.

Heck, even compromised wireless routers[1] and CCTV systems[2] become part of botnets. Anything that's known to be insecure will be exploited.

[1]: http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/01/lizard-stresser-runs-on-h...

[2]: https://blog.sucuri.net/2016/06/large-cctv-botnet-leveraged-...

Any server is interesting enough to get pwned to join in on DDoS botnets. I've seen it happen to so many cheap personal VPSes.

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