Unprotected Wireless - do I tell?
Discussion
chrisjl said:
It is now entirely possible to protect your wireless LAN from unwanted access.
This article is quote old, so maybe things are better now, but it explains how to gain access to a non-SSID broadcasting, WEP'ed network with a MAC filter:
www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/wireless/excerpt/wirlsshacks_chap1/
Total protection?
Turn it off.
WEP is easily hacked, and the mac filter isn't too hard to work around.
My wireless is currently only protected by WEP and no SSID. My machines should prove slightly trickier to compromise, but I'm sure it can be done.
More accurately, turn WEP authentication off, but leave encryption on. Plenty of vendors' WEP implementations work around some of the worst vulnerabilities in WEP now.
If you've got the choice of WPA-PSK (Wireless Protected Access - I think, plus static keying) use that instead. Much better and available on newer hardware.
But, whatever. With the exception of WEP authentication, use all the security features: in a world where lots of people are insecure, you want to be more secure than them. That way hackers will slide right on past your network and use someone else's.
If you've got the choice of WPA-PSK (Wireless Protected Access - I think, plus static keying) use that instead. Much better and available on newer hardware.
But, whatever. With the exception of WEP authentication, use all the security features: in a world where lots of people are insecure, you want to be more secure than them. That way hackers will slide right on past your network and use someone else's.
I use WPA-PSK, limit ip ranges for DHCP + use MAC address filtering. I don't hide SSID as anyone who could hack it would find it anyway, it makes it easier for the wife to find the connection if the mac at home doesn't pick it up straight away.
If someone really wants to get in they will but with all the unprotected networks around I think they can leech off them first.
If someone really wants to get in they will but with all the unprotected networks around I think they can leech off them first.
WEP is is totally vulnarable to Airsnort etc, pretty much anyone can hack it.
If WPA is implemented properly, as well correctly administering the access point, a wireless LAN can be as secure as any network.
Obviously most wlans are insecure, but then so are most wired networks. If you use the correct procedures and technologies your network can be very secure.
Obviously there is always someone that can break into the most secure network, but there aren't too many of those people around. Most hackers are lazy and just go for easy targets.
If WPA is implemented properly, as well correctly administering the access point, a wireless LAN can be as secure as any network.
Obviously most wlans are insecure, but then so are most wired networks. If you use the correct procedures and technologies your network can be very secure.
Obviously there is always someone that can break into the most secure network, but there aren't too many of those people around. Most hackers are lazy and just go for easy targets.
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