Server ip security

[sqitchy]

This question is on the harder side, so hopefully I can write it in a way thats understandable.

So I have a server running and added a real life friend. To make a long story short, I never told him the address was my ip. He added a friend who added another friend.

Now my ip is floating around and I want to fix this before it gets out of hand.

How do I change my server address to a url like most big servers, rather then my computers ip? Is there a way I can encrypt my ip address behind a different name people can use if that makes any sense?

 

[CarbonBasedGhost]

Well in reality you should not be concerned about your IP because there is virtually nothing you can do with it. If you really wanted you could get anyone's IP who logged onto your server. Long story short your IP is useless. It just is used so other computer can connect to yours. The most they could do with it is find out the town you live in.

 

[sqitchy]

But what about having my router port forwarded? With an open router and access to the ip, couldn't you simply hack your way into their personal stuff? There has to be a way to change it, or encrypt the ip behind another name.

 

[CarbonBasedGhost]

But what about having my router port forwarded? With an open router and access to the ip, couldn't you simply hack your way into their personal stuff? There has to be a way to change it, or encrypt the ip behind another name.

Nope, you do not simply hack a computer via an IP it is impossible[DOUBLEPOST=1407508367][/DOUBLEPOST]Now if you are concerned about open ports that people can get via your IP then your real problem should be your server

 

[sqitchy]

Ok well that makes me feel a bit safer. I still want to know how to eventually change the name to a url like bigger servers. I've yet to see a known server with an ip address rather then a url. The problem is I don't exactly know how to word that question, or even where to start finding a method of changing my server address to a real name rather then my ip.

 

[sqitchy]

Ok so obviously I need a domain name in order to make a url for my server.

I'm going to change the subject to any ideas on a free or cheap domain name site.

I already know how to set it up, I just need a reliable source.

 

[DiamondArrow]

Try noip.com. I used to use it when home-hosting a server. But people can still use your current ip to log onto your server even if you have a url. For changing ips, google's your friend.

 

[Harvest88]

Nope, you do not simply hack a computer via an IP it is impossible[DOUBLEPOST=1407508367][/DOUBLEPOST]Now if you are concerned about open ports that people can get via your IP then your real problem should be your server

There is one use for IPs though, DDoSing.. So people saying "an IP is useless" you can still bring someone internet connection down and even boot them off their ISP if they get a DDoS (if you get one your provider will boot you off their network and termaite you).

 

[XLT_Frank]

Just keep your router firmware up to date, restrict external access to the control panel, and only port forward that port unless you do port knocking, however I would still be hesitant.

If your router supports DD-WRT, then any dynamic IP changes can be kept in sync with free dns services that give you a url. However you can still pull the IP address with a simple quarry.

 

[CarbonBasedGhost]

There is one use for IPs though, DDoSing.. So people saying "an IP is useless" you can still bring someone internet connection down and even boot them off their ISP if they get a DDoS (if you get one your provider will boot you off their network and termaite you).

Yes but let's be reasonable, he stands no chance of being DDosed. First who would pay to DDos him and second what reasons would anyone have to do it.

 

[sqitchy]

Yes but let's be reasonable, he stands no chance of being DDosed. First who would pay to DDos him and second what reasons would anyone have to do it.

That's a good point, and the main reason I don't piss people off on the net. All the info here has been extreamly useful. I easly port forwarded a single port, but doing it is one thing. Understanding exactly what It does is another.

I was basically trying to clear up if my security was at risk from multiple people knowing my ip. I have a 200$ router so I assume it's top of the line for today's technology. I also only enable the port when me and my friends are all playing together.

Hopefully I'll be fine, but having a server is pretty fun and I want to make it larger and safer in the future.

 

[Harvest88]

First who would pay to DDos him

You really thinks an attacker even cares to pay anything to get their dirty work done? I am pretty sure all they would they need to do is max out a credit card by sniping up a dedi and just chargeback the provider when they are done/get caught.

 

[Wagon153]

You really thinks an attacker even cares to pay anything to get their dirty work done? I am pretty sure all they would they need to do is max out a credit card by sniping up a dedi and just chargeback the provider when they are done/get caught.

For a DDOS to be successful, you need a lot more then one server...

 

[DZCreeper]

For a DDOS to be successful, you need a lot more then one server...

Depends on the server and the peering between it and the target. If the server is running a 10gbps port it can flood any server running a 1gbps port in theory. If a network admin along the path of the traffic doesn't get suspicious about all that traffic from 1 source IP and won't null route it, then yes, a single dedicated server could take down another.

 

[CarbonBasedGhost]

You really thinks an attacker even cares to pay anything to get their dirty work done? I am pretty sure all they would they need to do is max out a credit card by sniping up a dedi and just chargeback the provider when they are done/get caught.

I am saying who would pay to hack a small whitelisted server that someone not doing anything irrating owns. It's like worrying about a tank blowing up your house. Who would come up with a tank to your house?

 

[sqitchy]

I just told the 5 people on the server not to give the ip out. These people could hardly figure out how to enable the mods required to play on the server so after paying attention to their intelligence I don't see them as a threat.

I feel a domain name would be safer then using an ip for obvious reasons. Hacking people stuff started out as a prank, so on a game like mc I imagine most people hack just to annoy people.

It's hard to tell what type of hacks people use. I gaerntee if someone wanted in your computer bad enough they would figure out a way. All they would have to do is attach viruses to your music, picture, or documents that look like files you will put on an external drive and save.

I'm the type who constantly partitions my hard drive to make sure I wipe all viruses I may or may not have. Even then if I were the hacker I'd attach the virus to the file that has the partitioning program in it. A factory reset wipes all files except the partition one.

Anyway, all this is just because I'm a paranoid person who feels I'm being constantly watched via the Internet. And through the cameras the government place in my house while I sleep XD

 

[silentrob]

I feel a domain name would be safer then using an ip for obvious reasons.

A domain name doesn't do anything to protect your IP. It is little more than an easy human readable pointer to your IP, and does nothing to hide your actual IP from anybody.

The common analogy is that an IP is sort of like your computer's internet phone number, and a domain name is used to give that phone number an entry into the global internet phone book. Every time you type a domain name into your browser, the first thing your computer does is goes to that phone book to find the IP for that domain name and uses that to "call" the website.

Here's just how quick and easy it is to translate a domain name into an IP address

C:\>nslookup amazon.com
Server:  UnKnown
Address:  192.168.1.1

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    amazon.com
Addresses:  72.21.215.232

You could actually type 72.21.215.232 into your web browser and the Amazon.com home page will be pulled up, but who wants to remember a bunch of numbers for all of the websites they visit...