Port forwarding can be safe, but it depends entirely on what you’re exposing and how well it’s protected. When done carelessly, it can open your network to hacking attempts or unauthorized access.

Is port forwarding safe?

Port forwarding can be safe, but it depends entirely on what you’re exposing and how well it’s protected. When done carelessly, it can open your network to hacking attempts or unauthorized access.

⚠️ Port Forwarding Risks:

• Exposes internal devices (PCs, cameras, servers) to the internet.
• Hackers scan for open ports to find weak spots.
• Services like RDP (port 3389) or FTP (port 21) are commonly targeted.
• Many attacks come from automated bots scanning thousands of IPs.

🔐 How to Make Port Forwarding Safe:

1. ✅ Forward only the ports you absolutely need
2. ✅ Use strong passwords and, if possible, 2FA
3. ✅ Restrict IP access (some routers let you whitelist IPs)
4. ✅ Keep your software updated (especially remote tools)
5. ✅ Consider forwarding to a VPN server instead of exposing services directly
6. ✅ Monitor your open ports
   👉 Use our free port checker to test what's exposed

🔍 Safe Use Case Example:

You want to access your home NAS (Synology, etc.) remotely.
 Instead of forwarding port 5000 directly, you:

• Set up a VPN server on the NAS
• Forward VPN port (e.g. 1194 for OpenVPN)
• Access the NAS securely through VPN

🚫 Unsafe Use Case Example:

Forwarding RDP (port 3389) to your PC with no password or firewall.
→ You will likely be attacked in minutes by bots.

🔗 Related Articles You Should Read Next:

1. What ports are dangerous to open to the public?
2. How do I secure services exposed via port forwarding?
3. What is the safest way to use RDP or SSH remotely?
4. How to detect if someone is scanning your ports
5. Why should you disable UPnP on your router?
6. What’s the difference between port forwarding and VPN?
7. How to close forwarded ports you don’t use
8. Does port forwarding affect internet speed?
9. What is DMZ and is it riskier than port forwarding?
10. How to protect IoT devices when port forwarding