is there some way that the the "non delicate" content can be posted here?
From my own experience of Wifi here are a few pointers:
If getting a wireless router or WAP (wireless access point) make sure it has the minimum of 128-bit WEP encryption (Wired Equivalent Privacy). This will be a 26 character password between the wireless device and the wireless pc.
WEP is not fully secure, it may put off the average hacker/cracker but not a determined one.
It used to be you could crack the key with 2GB of sampled data now you can crack a WEP key with a lot less. I can post articles should anyone want the info.
WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) goes some way to addressing the WEP short falls. Using a known password between your WIFI client and the access point a random temporary key is generated and shared. I don't know how long the key lasts for but you will be less prone to data sniffing and cracking attempts. One problem with WPA that older 802.11b wireless cards do not support this protocol so you may need to get a new card.
MAC address locking, some access points provide the ability to only allow known machines access. This is done by registering the MAC address of the wireless card (run ipconfig on windows 2000/xp or ifconfig in linux) with the access point. Then only those MAC addresses can access the WIFI. It is possible to spoof a MAC address but this is more for your determined hacker.
if you do need to use a wireless access point for secure / private business then i would suggest you only connect to secure websites (those using https in the url) and make sure to validate the certificate is for the company you think you are talking to. Or if you have the option of VPN use that, although this is normally only an option for the corporate types.
To add something else to think about beware of 'evil-twin' access points. Have a read of this article for more info.
hope that is enough to be thinking about.
g
Posts: 27 | Location: Valladolid | Registered: 07 March 2003
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