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Cybersecurity vocabulary · Network Security

Open port

Meaning in cybersecurity, with examples

nounCommon term

In cybersecurity, open port means: A network port on a device that is accepting connections, which means a service is listening there and can be reached by others.

In Turkish: açık port

How it is used

Found with port scans, for example with Nmap. Each open port is part of the attack surface, so unexpected ones, such as an exposed remote desktop or database port, are common findings. People say a port is open, closed or filtered.

Example sentences

  1. The external scan found an open port 3389 on a test server.

  2. Please close any open port that the application does not need.

Common collocations

  • port scan
  • close a port
  • listening service
  • exposed port
  • firewallA hardware device or piece of software that checks network traffic and allows or blocks it according to a set of security rules.
  • attack surfaceAll the points where an attacker could try to get into a system or organisation or take data out, such as open ports, web apps, user accounts and suppliers.
  • reconnaissanceThe first stage of an attack or security test, in which information about the target is gathered, such as domain names, staff, technologies and exposed services.
  • hardeningThe process of making a system more secure by removing unnecessary software and services, changing default settings and applying secure configurations.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Network Security

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