Improving YOUR Online Security [Windows 10 & 11, Randomize your WiFi address]

market-ticker.or ^ | 8/22/2024 | Karl Denninger

[ransomnote]

Its a small difference, but a real one.

Go into your operating system and for all WiFi connections set MAC address randomization.

For Windows 11 it is under Network & Internet -> WiFi right at the bottom -- "Random hardware addresses."

For Android it is on by default for WiFi connections -- check all of them you use, and it should be on.

I suspect IOS on Macs has a similar feature.

Unfortunately for most systems there is no similar setting for hardware connections (e.g. cabled.)

This didn't used to matter much in the world of IPv4 because MAC addresses do not travel beyond the local network.  They have to be unique within the local network domain (e.g. your WiFi access point or similar) because that's how the network builds the mapping table so it knows what IP address (for example) goes to what machine.  Since they never leave the local domain the only real value in the IPv4 universe was preventing some local actor from mapping recurring device presence in a given place.  It would take a great deal of effort to put together any sort of "coalition" between such locations to develop any sort of effective "profiling" capability.

Unfortunately in the IPv6 world this is no longer true. SLACC, which is what most IPv6 networks use for local devices, results in a globally-unique address that is specifically tied to your hardware and is visible anywhere on the Internet you connect to!

So now when you connect to any site on the Internet and are using IPv6 the other end has a globally-unique identifier for your specific device, and unless you can randomize the MAC address it uses you now have dropped a "breadcrumb" that identifies your specific machine.

[ransomnote]

Every piece of equipment that connects to the Internet must have a unique code. This unique code happens to be called a Machine Access Code'. Sadly, the acronym for this code is 'MAC Address'. This has nothing to do with branding; it's not specific to 'MAC computers'  It's strictly a unique code for any piece of computer equipment for identification when connected to the Internet, regardless of the operating system ( Mac/Linux/PC/Android etc.).

Prior Internet protocols (e.g.,  IPv4)  only used MAC addresses internally - so it was never made public. The latest Internet Standard ( IPv6) broadcasts that unique code for your computer - so that your hardware provides a unique identifier to the world wide web and its inhabitants. It's a piece of the puzzle which can be used to help identify specific user accounts.

So Denninger advises turning on the 'Randomize MAC Address' feature on your computer.

I'll put a few 'how to' links here in case anyone is interested. I did not test them so proceed at your own risk - I just wanted to make things convenient if you see a source you trust.

Adroid

https://source.android.com/docs/core/connect/wifi-mac-randomization-behavior

WINDOWS 11 RANDOMIZE

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/i-cant-find-random-mac-addresse-option/5646572b-0c24-400c-88b2-52b94e165445

Windows 10 RANDOMIZE

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-random-hardware-addresses-in-windows-ac58de34-35fc-31ff-c650-823fc48eb1bc 

WINDOWS CHANGE MAC ADDRESS

https://www.digitalcitizen.life/change-mac-address-windows/

Linux

https://www.reddit.com/r/linux4noobs/comments/s4jrx8/how_do_i_randomize_mac_on_every_startup/

 

[brianl703]

Back in my day, the “MAC” in “mac address” stood for “medium access control, not “Machine Access Code”.

Of course, things change all the time, so maybe that’s what it is these days.

[ShadowAce]

ping

[RoosterRedux]

Is there a disadvantage to randomizing your address?

[wjcsux]

Please forgive my computer ignorance. I am using VPN from Norton, does it do the same thing?

[ptsal]

Bkmk

[dayglored]

Windows 10/11 MAC security ... PING!

You can find all the Windows Ping list threads with FR search: just search on keyword "windowspinglist".

Thanks to ShadowAce for the ping!

[steve86]

It still does. Media Access Control.

[steve86]

It can cause network management issues all over the place on an older V4 network, even if V6 traffic is allowed through. Lots of firmware and software still expects a consistent MAC address.

[steve86]

VPNs hide your physical MAC address whether it is V4 or V6 so it’s not an issue in that respect.

[Gideon7]

Is there a disadvantage to randomizing your address?

Randomizing your MAC address can make it harder to track down which ohone or PC inside your home is misbehaving if you need to troubleshoot a network problem on your LAN, (e.g. your kid is hogging all the bandwidth playing Fortnite).

[RoosterRedux]

Given that my wifi has good password protection and is only used in my home, is the randomization of my wifi really necessary?

[NFHale]

Thank you

[Gideon7]

Not really

[sethro]

100‰!

I am blocking and have disabled IPv6 but foresee a day where that’ll have to be pemitted on the ole pfSense router.

Got some things to learn about v6 too.

[RoosterRedux]

Thx much.

[rlmorel]

Some good advice here.

[ransomnote]

You’re probably right. I’m working from memory ‘back in my day’ so I probably recalled it incorrectly. :D

[RoosterRedux]

Thx.:-)

[C210N]

For win10/11, all well and good. Now, Any tips for win7?