Port 465 is used by SMTP Secure (SSL) (SMTPS). Encrypted email sending. Legacy SSL-wrapped SMTP. Largely superseded by port 587 with STARTTLS but still widely supported.
What Does an Open Port 465 Mean?
A mail server is accepting encrypted email submissions. This is appropriate for mail servers. Use port 587 for modern email client configuration.
This port should NOT be open to the public internet on typical systems. If you see it open, investigate immediately.
Security Risk Level
Low Risk
How to Check if Port 465 Is Open
Use the ExamineIP Port Scanner to check if port 465 is open on any IP address from the public internet. Enter the target IP and select the relevant port preset.
How to Close Port 465
- Stop the service using port 465 if you no longer need it
- Add a firewall rule blocking inbound connections on port 465
- Check your router for port forwarding rules that expose this port
- Run
netstat -ano | findstr :465(Windows) to see which process is using it
Related Ports
SMTPS is related to: {implode(‘, ‘, Array)}
Protect Your Open Ports
If you need services like remote access, use a VPN to create a private encrypted tunnel instead of exposing ports directly to the internet. A VPN also hides your real IP address so port scanners cannot identify your device. Try PureVPN or IPVanish.