Just thought I would put up a pos \t to say why you should lock your wireless connections.

 

I am currently stod outside west harrow tube station righting this on someone elses wireless connection that is obviously not protected.

 

Some may say that I am being naughty but I am not trying to be malicious to anything I am just bored waiting to go to work and decided to have a looksee at what connection came up. I do this a lot but often don't find any unprotected ones. Which is good.

 

Let this be a warning because I could be a nasty person and if I knew how to might do something to te connection. I don't know if this comes off the persons monthly bill so I willlog off know.

 

Darrell

Yes but it does come in handy sometimes, like last week when my brother brought his laptop round to plug into car to register and use datascan, Internet in the garage, :cool: I must be posh! :rolleyes:

lol :rofl:

I do it all the time while i'm out and about ;)

 

Its amazing how many people dont have their wireless locked with a wep key??

 

Mike

The real reason that you should lock down your wireless is that someone could use it to do something illegal. For example there are certain websites, typically child porn but not always, that are watched by the Police/FBI. They log the IP address that visits, go to the ISP and say, "tell me who had this IP at this time". Then they go visit ! If you can't prove it's not you, then you're gonna have a difficult time.

 

In security terminology this is called non-repudiation.

you should use WAP2 as WEP is easy to by-pass

you should use WAP2 as WEP is easy to by-pass

 

Agreed, but the fact that you have 'attempted' so secure it given the protocols available is better than doing nothing. Also, whileWEP is not as secure as WPA etc, it's not that bad. How many people do you know who have actually cracked a WEP code and I mean really know, not just people who read that theoretically it can be done ?

The real reason that you should lock down your wireless is that someone could use it to do something illegal. For example there are certain websites, typically child porn but not always, that are watched by the Police/FBI. They log the IP address that visits, go to the ISP and say, "tell me who had this IP at this time". Then they go visit ! If you can't prove it's not you, then you're gonna have a difficult time.

 

In security terminology this is called non-repudiation.

 

Sort of true. They cant charge you for your IP visiting the site. Most people who look at illegal stuff port their traffic through one or maybe more different computers making it almost impossible to find where they are.

When you visit a website, it will leave the data on your HDD, which can be retrieved even once deleted. It can even be found if you format, or copy files over the area of the disc which it was stored.

If there are no files there, they cant prosecute. However, still wouldnt want to go through the motions of them trying.

 

 

you should use WAP2 as WEP is easy to by-pass

every wireless can be hacked. WEP takes about 15 mins to hack. I know I have done it.

 

 

 

I do it all the time while i'm out and about ;)

Its amazing how many people dont have their wireless locked with a wep key??

Mike

Some computer magazine flew over LA with 2 wireless laptops to see what wireless they could find. They found over 4500 wireless networks without protection. I think it was about 60% of all wireless they found.

 

However some people do not put WEP on on purpose, as they want to share there internet connection. As long as you turn off the guest account on your computer, install a firewall, set usernames and passwords and setup share security correctly, your data is more safe than if you just had WEP, WEP2 or WAP enabled and having users and passwords on default.

Agreed, but the fact that you have 'attempted' so secure it given the protocols available is better than doing nothing. Also, whileWEP is not as secure as WPA etc, it's not that bad. How many people do you know who have actually cracked a WEP code and I mean really know, not just people who read that theoretically it can be done ?

 

 

Unfortunatly there are many tools on the internet which will do it for you. Even with WPA. They will deter most people as you have to have some IT knowledge to use the programs.

I have done it. Only to my own wireless though.

 

However, WPA and 128Bit WEP will keep out 99.99% of coputer users.

Sort of true. They cant charge you for your IP visiting the site. Most people who look at illegal stuff port their traffic through one or maybe more different computers making it almost impossible to find where they are.

When you visit a website, it will leave the data on your HDD, which can be retrieved even once deleted. It can even be found if you format, or copy files over the area of the disc which it was stored.

If there are no files there, they cant prosecute. However, still wouldnt want to go through the motions of them trying.

 

Sort of really true. We have had enquires at work from the FBI due to someone visiting a site in Korea ! We had to provide details from our log files. These days we block 'bad' sites using stuff like WebWasher, the real point here is that you shouldn't leave yourself open to misuse. And whatever you do, stay away from the 'watch' list ! ;)

Agreed, but the fact that you have 'attempted' so secure it given the protocols available is better than doing nothing. Also, whileWEP is not as secure as WPA etc, it's not that bad. How many people do you know who have actually cracked a WEP code and I mean really know, not just people who read that theoretically it can be done ?

 

i tested a friends and i was in in 5.49 mins exactly :shock:

i tested a friends and i was in in 5.49 mins exactly :shock:

 

Top work !

So I can unlock my wireless router and then look at dodgy stuff (no child porn - maybe how to manufacture crystal meth etc ) with impunity? ;)

 

Innocent until proven guilty and all that.

depends, just hide your ip it's easier buddy

every wireless can be hacked. WEP takes about 15 mins to hack. I know I have done it.

 

However some people do not put WEP on on purpose, as they want to share there internet connection. As long as you turn off the guest account on your computer, install a firewall, set usernames and passwords and setup share security correctly, your data is more safe than if you just had WEP, WEP2 or WAP enabled and having users and passwords on default.

 

timescale to crack depends on complexity of key, and volume of interceptible traffic

 

WEP on and WEP off has nothing to do with sharing internet connections, its just protecting the traffic between devices.

 

Turning off guest account, installing firewall, usernames/passwords and shares security will not make your data safe when you transfer it over a non encrypted connection, unless the data itself is encrypted first.

You are only protecting your pc from direct attack.

 

 

But as previosuly said, other than protection of transmitted data, the purpose of securing your wireless connection is so that you can control who is actually using that connection.

 

its a bit like having a car and leaving the keys in it when your are not using it, so that anyone can borrow it when they need it.

when (or if) they bring it back (undamaged?), how long before you get camera NIPS in the post, and how do you prove you were not driving ?

 

WEP on and WEP off has nothing to do with sharing internet connections, its just protecting the traffic between devices.

 

Turning off guest account, installing firewall, usernames/passwords and shares security will not make your data safe when you transfer it over a non encrypted connection, unless the data itself is encrypted first.

You are only protecting your pc from direct attack.

 

That is true, but home users dont tend to send huge amounts of information via wireless. It tends to be internet browsing, emails and games.

 

But if you dont have any protection against direct attacks, once they get your WEP data, the whole of your HDD is quite easy to access.

 

timescale to crack depends on complexity of key, and volume of interceptible traffic

 

Again true, but most programs now will bombard the router/access point, with requests to force it to send out more packets, speeding up the cracking process. WPA crack needs about 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 packets to crack.

 

 

I think the bottom line is, you can never have too much protection. Even something simple like, turning off your computer when you are not using it, and even turn off your router at night.

there was me thinking people would moan about it.

 

Seems like it happens a lot then.

 

Stupid thing I haven't protected my own at home either.

 

Live in a little village though so would probably notice some idiot stabding outside with a laptop.

 

LOL

 

Darrell

 

Live in a little village though so would probably notice some idiot stabding outside with a laptop.

 

LOL

 

Darrell

 

A bunch of Polish students proved that with some additional equipment you could join a wireless network from about 80Km away (or was that 80m away - can't remember now).

A bunch of Polish students proved that with some additional equipment you could join a wireless network from about 80Km away (or was that 80m away - can't remember now).

 

you can do 80km away with the right equipment. i wont tell you what it is, but it can be done easily

A bunch of Polish students proved that with some additional equipment you could join a wireless network from about 80Km away (or was that 80m away - can't remember now).

 

I have trouble getting a signal in my bedroom.

 

Thats about 8m away.

 

LOL

 

Darrell

I always thought that your ip addy was the individual PC, not the router??!!

My router is open, but you need the NTL password and account details to use it! :D

I always thought that your ip addy was the individual PC, not the router??!!

My router is open, but you need the NTL password and account details to use it! :D

 

the router dials the connection and has the individual ip for example 91.32.567.212 and all the computers connected to the router has ip's like 192.168.1.64

I always thought that your ip addy was the individual PC, not the router??!!

My router is open, but you need the NTL password and account details to use it! :D

 

the router dials the connection and has the individual ip for example 91.32.567.212 and all the computers connected to the router has ip's like 192.168.1.64

 

you can check your ip by going Start>Run>cmd>ipconfig /all

or if you want to find out where your data is going use the command "tracert 300zx.co.uk" or anyother website

I just put on MAC filtering, not many people can be arsed spoofing MAC addresses.