Windows 11 Open Ports Review

In the networking stack of Windows 11, a "port" is a logical endpoint for communication. Open ports are essential for any service that listens for incoming connections — but they also represent the primary attack surface. Understanding, enumerating, and managing open ports on Windows 11 is a core skill for system administrators, security analysts, and power users.

This article explores:

Each open port reduces your attack surface. Key risks include: windows 11 open ports

Get-NetTCPConnection -State Listen | Export-Csv -Path "open_ports_$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd).csv" -NoTypeInformation

The most effective way to close a port is to stop the application that opened it.

Run PowerShell as Administrator and enter: In the networking stack of Windows 11, a

Get-NetTCPConnection -State Listen

This provides a clean, readable table of local ports, remote addresses, and owning processes.

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block port 445" `
    -Direction Inbound `
    -LocalPort 445 `
    -Protocol TCP `
    -Action Block

Look for:

Even if a process listens on port 9000, the firewall may block external access.
Check effective rules:

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName localhost -Port 9000

For remote checking: Test-NetConnection -ComputerName remote-pc -Port 3389 Each open port reduces your attack surface