I ran Steve's ShieldsUP! on my work laptop running Windows 7 Pro (6.1) using Chrome and connected to my Pixel's hotspot. To my surprise, the results came back as positive as one could hope for:
However, when I ran the program from the Tor Browser I had less than desirable outcomes:
Is it feasible that using Tor would actually make me more vulnerable? I am trying to establish the most anonymous method of researching sensitive material.
File Transfer:
Your Internet port 139 does not appear to exist!
One or more ports on this system are operating in FULL STEALTH MODE! Standard Internet
behavior requires port connection attempts to be answered with a success or refusal
response. Therefore, only an attempt to connect to a nonexistent computer results in no
response of either kind. But YOUR computer has DELIBERATELY CHOSEN NOT TO RESPOND (that's
very cool!) which represents advanced computer and port stealthing capabilities. A machine
configured in this fashion is well hardened to Internet NetBIOS attack and intrusion.
Most Common Ports:
Your system has achieved a perfect "TruStealth" rating. Not a single packet — solicited
or otherwise — was received from your system as a result of our security probing tests.
Your system ignored and refused to reply to repeated Pings (ICMP Echo Requests). From the
standpoint of the passing probes of any hacker, this machine does not exist on the
Internet. Some questionable personal security systems expose their users by attempting to
"counter-probe the prober", thus revealing themselves. But your system wisely remained
silent in every way. Very nice.
However, when I ran the program from the Tor Browser I had less than desirable outcomes:
File Transfer:
Preliminary Internet connection refused!
This is extremely favorable for your system's overall Windows File and Printer Sharing
security. Most Windows systems, with the Network Neighborhood installed, hold the NetBIOS
port 139 wide open to solicit connections from all passing traffic. Either this system has
closed this usually-open port, or some equipment or software such as a "firewall" is
preventing external connection and has firmly closed the dangerous port 139 to all
passersby. (Congratulations!)
Most Common Ports:
Solicited TCP Packets: RECEIVED (FAILED) — As detailed in the port report below, one or
more of your system's ports actively responded to our deliberate attempts to establish a
connection. It is generally possible to increase your system's security by hiding it from
the probes of potentially hostile hackers. Please see the details presented by the
specific port links below, as well as the various resources on this site, and in our
extremely helpful and active user community.
Unsolicited Packets: PASSED — No Internet packets of any sort were received from your
system as a side-effect of our attempts to elicit some response from any of the ports
listed above. Some questionable personal security systems expose their users by attempting
to "counter-probe the prober", thus revealing themselves. But your system remained wisely
silent. (Except for the fact that not all of its ports are completely stealthed as shown
below.)
Ping Reply: RECEIVED (FAILED) — Your system REPLIED to our Ping (ICMP Echo) requests,
making it visible on the Internet. Most personal firewalls can be configured to block,
drop, and ignore such ping requests in order to better hide systems from hackers. This is
highly recommended since "Ping" is among the oldest and most common methods used to locate
systems prior to further exploitation.
Is it feasible that using Tor would actually make me more vulnerable? I am trying to establish the most anonymous method of researching sensitive material.