Purpose: Searching for Hidden Backdoors Used by Hackers

While your firewall acts as the main locked door to your computer, sophisticated malware often tries to open its own secret, unguarded backdoors to communicate with attackers. This health check is a specialized security sweep that acts like a digital patrol, checking for any of these known “hacker backdoors” that might have been left open on your system.

This proactive hunt is designed to find evidence of a compromise that might otherwise go completely undetected.

How it Works: A Security Patrol for Your Computer’s Doors

Think of your computer as a large building with thousands of numbered doors, known as network ports.

• Legitimate Doors: A few doors are used for normal business, like Door #443 for secure web browsing. These are the main entrances, and they are well-guarded by your firewall.
• Hacker’s Favorite Doors: Hackers and malware have a list of their favorite, obscure door numbers that they love to use as secret entrances and exits (e.g., door #4444, #5555, #31337). On a secure system, these doors should always be locked, sealed, and unused.

Our health check performs a simple but critical task: it sends a security patrol to walk the perimeter of your computer and check if any of these known “hacker doors” are propped open. An open door of this type is a massive red flag.

What Your Results Mean

This is a critical security check that looks for active signs of a potential compromise.

Status	What It Means	What To Do
All Clear(Pass)	No suspicious backdoors found. Our security patrol has checked all the known high-risk entry points and found them to be secure.	No action is required. Your system appears to be secure.
ACTION REQUIRED(Warning)	A suspicious backdoor has been found open. This is a critical alert. It indicates that malware could be running on your system, communicating with an attacker, or listening for commands.	This is a security incident. Follow these steps IMMEDIATELY:  1.  Disconnect your computer from the network. (Unplug the network cable or turn off Wi-Fi). 2.  Stop using the computer. Do not log out. Leave it as-is. 3.  Contact the IT Help Desk IMMEDIATELY and report a security alert.
Test Inconclusive(Fail)	The patrol could not complete its check. We were unable to get a clear view of your computer’s network status, likely due to a network connection issue.	Please take the following steps: \ 1. Ensure you are connected to the internet. 2. Restart your computer and let the check run again. 3. If this result persists, contact the IT Help Desk.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from the Firewall Status check?

• The Firewall is the policy that says all backdoors should be locked. This Suspicious Ports check is the patrol that physically verifies the locks haven’t been broken or bypassed. It’s an active hunt for evidence of a breach.

Did I do something wrong to open this port?

• Almost certainly not. These ports are opened by malicious software that runs without your knowledge, often after clicking a link in a phishing email or visiting a compromised website. Our goal is to contain the threat, not to assign blame.

Why is the “Action Required” response so urgent?

• An open backdoor means an attacker could be actively stealing your data, listening to your activity, or using your computer to launch further attacks on our company network. Disconnecting the device immediately is the most critical step to contain the damage.