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# Does Cogeco block any traffic or ports?

||| Note: If you have a 5-digit Cogeco account number, you will continue to use this article. If you have a 11-digit Cogeco account number starting with a 5 or 6, you'll use My Account to manage your services. [__Get support content for using My Account__](https://support.cogeco.ca/hc/en-ca). 


# The security of our customers is our top priority.

### **In this case, we decided to block SNMP and SMTP traffic on our network (Inbound only). Rest assured, no other ports are blocked.**

### SNMP

**SNMP** *(Simple Network Management Protocol - UDP 161)* is a networking protocol used for the management and monitoring of network-connected devices. Devices will share a lot of information to a core server that handles all the data. This allows an Information technology (**IT**) team to monitor and and maintain the infrastructure:


* Collects current traffic on a particular link
* Can find out the storage space available on a particular server, etc.
* Manage devices
* Shutdown a router interface
* Reboot a device

|| ****SNMP**** allows us to quickly diagnose outages or degraded services. It is used in the infrastructure of all ISPs.

### Now, why might this be harmful to your network's security?

****SNMP**** is not completely secure. By default, only the most recent version is encrypted. That is, if you use SNMPv1 or v2 from/to the internet (outside of your network), you are transmitting unencrypted data about your devices over the internet.

||| It's a ****security breach****. Cybercriminals may seek to create SNMP connections to your network in order to gather intelligence about your network and traffic, which poses as significant security risk.

### SMTP

****SMTP**** *(Simple Message Transfer Protocol - TCP 25/465/587/2525) *is a well-known protocol that we've all used without even realizing it.

###### But how exactly?

You must have a working email address __(you need one to subscribe).__ This protocol is associated with emails. But do not be alarmed. You will be able to send and receive emails as usual.

###### What is the effect in this instance?

You won’t be able to host an email server within your network - but not everyone hosts an email server.

We decided to ** block SMTP ** for a variety of security concerns.

* Assume you host your mail server but do not prioritize updating and security—your mail server is vulnerable. An attacker may ****infect**** the server and use it to send ****hundreds of phishing and scam emails all across the world****. It overburdens the network, allowing attackers to reach more potential victims.

|| Our objective is to create a safer internet, and blocking this port will assist in reducing cybercrime and unwanted network intrusion.

* Some viruses are installed when an unsuspecting user is tricked into clicking on a link or attachment that contains malware. Some will use you as an SMTP relay, performing the tasks indicated above and ****using your devices to send phishing emails****.

###### Aside from SNMP and SMTP, all other ports are functional! ☺