Posted on 02/10/2004 10:52:58 PM PST by JohnHuang2
Wireless routers open door for crooks
Report finds con artists, identity thieves can easily access your PC
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
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One of the hottest new computer-related technologies is the wireless router, but the popular Internet connection also opens the door to thieves, according to a consumer report.
High-tech criminals, using just a pocket PC and a $20 antenna, can pick up someone else's Internet connection from up to 10 miles away, says KIRO-TV in Seattle.
A wireless router beams an Internet connection through the air to other computers without the use of wires. It allows, for example, a laptop to connect from anywhere in a home or business.
Not only does it open a huge door for con artists and identity thieves, but it allows even perverts to walk right through, the KIRO report said.
"Imagine the case of pornography or child pornography and all of a sudden the authorities are knocking on your door and taking you away and you don't know what they're talking about -- because someone downloaded child pornography via your connection," Brett Hiley, a computer security consultant, told KIRO.
Hiley demonstrated the hundreds of connections he could get while sitting in an SUV in Seattle's east suburbs.
"It looks like we're sitting here in an anonymous location, and we have full Internet access," he said.
Hiley warned that not only can hackers steal your connection, they can watch everything you do and even steal your personal information through free programs available via the Internet.
"I have personally found financial institutions that were transmitting credit information … Social Security numbers, names, numbers, addresses, phone numbers, your credit report," he said.
Secret Service agent Wallace Shields confirmed that to KIRO.
"You can basically sit in a parking lot, and if you know what frequency to go in on when the stores download by satellite, you get tons of credit card information," Shields said.
Hacking tools exist, KIRO said, that decode passwords, even on some sites that claim to be secure.
Shields said it's important to use the encryption technology that comes with most routers, but KIRO's investigation found the security features are not user friendly and apparently most people have not turned them on.
Out of nearly 100 wireless connections KIRO accessed from a park during its investigation, fewer than half were encrypted.
Second, don't count on WEP security. it stinks. There are over twenty known holes in it and VERY EASY and readily available hacks to get around it in about 2 minutes. Look up the documentation for your hardware and software (usually on their web site, but certainly available via GOOGLE) about implementing WPA (which is basically specific fixes for the known WEP holes) and implement them. This includes things like EAP (I use PEAP, while LEAP is a proprietary CISCO (who owns Linksys) protocol, but it is usually hardware specific, so make sure your EAP implementation matches)
Then spend the time to change your encryption key on a regular basis. Remember that you have to do this to both your access point and ALL of your clients to make them work.
Finally keep on top of the introductions of 802.11i (it's a security implementation standard, not a new speed standard like 802.11 a, b or g).
Confusing enough for you? OK, then lets get into the 802.16 metropolitan area wireless network standard that's coming soon......
I am having the same problem, have you found any solution?
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