Monday's Mac Gadget by John F. Braun Someone Scanning Your Ports? React with TrashScan! April 10th, 2000 TrashScan 1.0.3 (Freeware) Michael Coffey Although use of a firewall, such as Doorstop Personal Edition, will help protect against people trying to access information on your computer via the Internet, you may want to gather more information about the attempt. TrashScan can work in conjunction with such a firewall, resulting in protection and enhanced reporting. TrashScan can detect connection attempts on 10 randomly selected ports, which you can later modify. You can also monitor attempts to connect to HTTP, FTP and Telnet services. You can choose to receive a text alert, or, what we think is the neatest feature, receive an e-mail alert. This can be useful for remote servers that don't always have an operator present. . TrashScan Main Window with Some Alerts TrashScan will attempt to resolve the offending IP address, and in the e-mail report, suggest an e-mail address where you can forward the report. Also, if a scan is detected, the message "SCAN ATTEMPT FROM <IP ADDRESS> DETECTED AND LOGGED BY TRASHSCAN" will be sent to the port, letting the potential cracker know that you are watching! This should be enough to discourage all but the most curious. Keep tabs on who is trying to access your machine with TrashScan. Combined with a good firewall, you'll know about and protect against any unauthorized attempts to access you Mac. Have any other network security gadgets you'd like us to look at? Let John know via e-mail, or share it with the rest of us in the Mac Gadget Forum. Useful Link TrashScan Home Page Network Abuse Clearinghouse Monday's Mac Gadget is here to help you with those cool things that we all just have to have on our Macs. Shareware, Freeware, Postcardware, Emailware, and even commercial apps, Monday's Mac Gadget is here to help you find and use the best of these programs. John is a software engineer who works in the corporate R&D group of a Fortune 500 company, focusing on all aspects of communications technology. He has several degrees that claim he knows what he's doing when it comes to computers. After watching co-workers reinstall Windows, search for device drivers, and experience other horrors during the day, he's glad that he comes home to a Mac (compatible) computer. Have any comments, suggestions, or favorite Gadgets? Drop John a line at You can also Post Your Comments below. Current Monday's Mac Gadget Want to Supercharge Your Dock? Check Out Todos! - August 21st Worried About Your Mac Getting Jacked? Get JackSMS - June 12th Want iChat with Tabs? Try Chax! - April 3rd Visit Monday's Mac Gadget Archives for more great Mac Gadgets!