- Oct 23, 2012
- 12,527
Last week, a new website popped up on the Internet, one that lets visitors view random screenshots taken off computers that were improperly secured and are available via the Internet.
The website, called VNC Roulette, contains screenshots of various types of systems, ranging from FreeBSD to the latest Windows 10 devices.
The problem is that these devices have open VNC ports that allow anyone to access them without requiring a password.
The person behind VNC Roulette wanted to create a collection of terminals that can be accessed freely via the Internet. His discovery includes desktops where he found users reading email or hanging out on Facebook, terminals for medical devices, CCTV systems, or industrial-grade machinery.
The website has been up since last week, and while it started with around 500-600 screenshots, this week is down to around 200, as it appears that some screengrabs were taken offline.
All of you who like to access other systems via remote desktops should take a minute and check that those systems are properly secured with a password. If they handle sensitive information, it may be a good idea to secure the communications channel with encryption.
You may think that, because there are billions of Internet-connected devices, hackers won't be able to find you. You're wrong! There are countless specialized tools that scan the entire Internet for open connections on certain ports, and no matter how small your system is compared to the entire Internet, a determined attacker will eventually find it.
A good read for everyone
The website, called VNC Roulette, contains screenshots of various types of systems, ranging from FreeBSD to the latest Windows 10 devices.
The problem is that these devices have open VNC ports that allow anyone to access them without requiring a password.
The person behind VNC Roulette wanted to create a collection of terminals that can be accessed freely via the Internet. His discovery includes desktops where he found users reading email or hanging out on Facebook, terminals for medical devices, CCTV systems, or industrial-grade machinery.
The website has been up since last week, and while it started with around 500-600 screenshots, this week is down to around 200, as it appears that some screengrabs were taken offline.
All of you who like to access other systems via remote desktops should take a minute and check that those systems are properly secured with a password. If they handle sensitive information, it may be a good idea to secure the communications channel with encryption.
You may think that, because there are billions of Internet-connected devices, hackers won't be able to find you. You're wrong! There are countless specialized tools that scan the entire Internet for open connections on certain ports, and no matter how small your system is compared to the entire Internet, a determined attacker will eventually find it.
A good read for everyone
