Many offices expose their NAS and Remote Desktop directly to the public internet for remote work convenience. Think changing the port number keeps you safe? Real-world tests show: a quick hacker scan reveals exactly what’s inside your network and what devices you’re using — all laid bare.
1. Who Is Testing? Who Is Being Tested?
Cybrey is a new sub‑brand launched by Ruijie Networks in 2026 for small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) worldwide. Its core philosophy is “professional but easy” — delivering enterprise‑grade firewalls, switches, wireless, and cloud platforms that used to be affordable only for large corporations, now made accessible to SMEs through cloud and AI technologies, plus Ruijie’s strong manufacturing and supply chain capabilities.
Sysnet is an IT service provider with years of experience in SME network integration. They handle everything from site surveys and solution design to deployment, optimisation, troubleshooting, and data operations. Configuring firewall security policies is part of their daily routine.
When Sysnet received the new Cybrey firewall, they immediately conducted a professional, hands‑on evaluation. Sysnet senior technical officer, summed it up:
“The Ruijie Cybrey CF firewall fully meets our security requirements for SME office environments. I really love what you guys are doing.”
Now let’s walk through Sysnet’s testing process and see what Cybrey did to earn such high praise from a seasoned networking professional.
2. Scenario Re‑creation: The Windows You Open Are Clearly Visible to Hackers
Many offices need external access to internal services:
- Remote desktop to office PCs (RDP, default port 3389)
- Access to company NAS files from outside (Synology NAS commonly uses port 5000)
- View office surveillance footage (NVR)
What’s the most common solution? Port forwarding on the router or firewall.
Sysnet re‑created this in their office: they forwarded the NAS port 5000 and Windows RDP port 3389 (masqueraded externally as port 9000) to the public internet.
Then they scanned from the outside using Kali Linux — a well‑known security testing tool.
The results were alarming.
“Ports 80, 443, 5000, and 9000 were all visible from the outside. It’s like leaving your windows open — everyone passing by can see an entry point to climb in.”
Worse still, hackers can not only “see the windows” but also identify what’s behind them.
With a simple curl command, Sysnet discovered that the web service behind port 5000 exposed HTTP headers clearly stating “I am a Synology NAS.”
What happens next?
- Hackers open a browser and see the NAS login page.
- They use automated tools to brute‑force passwords (application‑layer attacks we discussed earlier).
- Once successful — all NAS files are encrypted for ransom, financial statements are stolen, and customer data is leaked.
And Remote Desktop? Sysnet’s technical manager put it bluntly:
“Compromising Remote Desktop is far more dangerous than compromising a NAS. Once hackers get into a Windows PC, that machine becomes a springboard to attack other internal devices — scanning other machines, attacking the NAS, deploying ransomware… It turns into a ‘zombie’ that helps hackers attack others.”
3. What Did Cybrey Firewall Do? Not Just Closing Ports — Making Attackers See Nothing
In this evaluation, Sysnet demonstrated Cybrey’s application‑layer attack protection — it doesn’t just open/close ports; it inspects traffic behaviour. When it detects a high volume of failed login attempts (the hallmark of brute‑force attacks), Cybrey automatically blocks them, stopping attacks in their tracks.
More critically, Cybrey actively defends against port scanning.
Ordinary Router vs. Cybrey Firewall:
- Attackers use port‑scanning tools to send packets and probe open ports.
- An ordinary router would respond “this port is open” or “this port is closed,” giving attackers clues to dig deeper.
- Cybrey detects scanning behaviour and drops or discards responses, so attackers have no idea whether a port is open — effectively blocking exposure of critical system information.
Sysnet easily activated scan protection via the DoS/DDoS Attack Defense menu — a simple setup.
“When the villain tried to harm us again, we held the Cybrey firewall firmly and shouted loud and clear: No way!!” - Sysnet Senior Tech Officer
4. Conclusion: Port Forwarding Can Be Safe — But Only with the Right Tools
Sysnet’s real‑world test confirms:
- Port forwarding itself is not wrong; the mistake is doing it with zero protection.
- Cybrey provides application‑layer brute‑force defence while also making your internal services invisible to external scanners, reducing risk from the very beginning.
- Configuration is straightforward — no need for security engineers spending days; the AI‑driven cloud management platform makes deployment fast for integrators.
If you’re using port forwarding for remote access or exposing your NAS to the public internet, your network may be “naked” right now.
5. Try Cybrey Yourself
“Most office cybersecurity problems aren’t because companies can’t afford good equipment — it’s because they don’t know how to configure it properly, or they think ‘let’s make do for now’ — and they regret it only after a breach.” - Sysnet Senior Tech Officer
Cybrey makes proper security configuration simple, fast, and cost‑effective.
Contact Ruijie Networks or Sysnet (if you’re in Thailand) to test the Cybrey CF firewall yourself.
📌 Learn More:
- Ruijie Cybrey official website: https://www.ruijie.com/en-global/cybrey/
- Sysnet original review (Port Forwarding & RDP security test): https://sysnetcenter.com/forward-port-nas-rdp-firewall-office-security.htm
- Get a demo unit: https://www.ruijie.com/en-global/sales_enquiry or email Cybrey@ruijie.com
“I really love what you guys are doing.” — You might say the same after your own test.
We hereby express our special thanks to the Sysnet professional technical team for their provision of the thorough technical evaluation materials and the associated reprint authorization. Any republication of this article or the original Sysnet report requires prior written permission from us. —— Ruijie Cybrey Marketing Team
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