How dangerous is port forwarding to a server in the office?

It puts that server directly on the internet, where automated scans find it quickly and attacks never stop, so it is as dangerous as the service and its maintenance are weak. A forwarded port to a web server that is patched weekly is a manageable risk; a forwarded port to a storage box, a camera recorder, remote desktop or an old test machine is a common way into small offices. Prefer alternatives: a VPN for staff, a cloud-hosted service, or a reverse proxy in a separate network segment. If you must forward, forward one port to one hardened host, keep it updated, require strong authentication, log access, and isolate the host from the rest of the network so that a compromise stays there. Check the router for forgotten forwards and automatic port opening (UPnP), and switch them off. NetSenX sees inbound connections to monitored hosts and flags scanning, repeated login attempts and lateral movement from the exposed host, on every plan.

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