If you are one of the many wireless networking computer users that travels or uses any one of the Wi-Fi ‘hot spots’ that are out there, are you aware of the potential danger lurking around such networks? This article will help you stay safe while surfing while ‘on the road’.
There are a lot of free and ‘for pay’ Wi-Fi hot spots appearing these days. A lot of businesses are recognizing the benefit of providing free Internet access to their patrons. And there are a lot of non-commercial places where you can go to get connected without having to such as libraries or other public gathering locations.
But there is a problem with these hot-spots. Whether they are free or you have to pay for access, very few of these provide any type of network security. There are exceptions but for the most part, these hot-spots have no security or encryption enabled which means that not only can anyone gain access to the network they can gain access to any and everyone’s data transmission!
What this means to you as a user of an unprotected network is that everything you send or receive while attached to that network is free and clear for interception and interpretation by anyone wanting to read your transmissions.
Another danger is that without some sort of security, criminal sorts could set up an alias wireless network in a nearby location that looks like a safe network. For instance, you could be at the airport in a café named “Joe Bob’s Coffee Shop”. You look for a Wi-Fi network to connect to and you see “Joe Bab’s Coffee Shop” network. You logon and begin surfing while enjoying a café latte. If you look closely, you have logged onto a fake network and everything you do could be intercepted – usernames, passwords, account numbers…whatever.
There are few things you can do to protect yourself. The first is the easiest – do not log onto an unsecured network. Check with the owner to ensure that they are providing the service themselves and that you are able to authenticate a verified user log on. If they just stare at you like a deer in headlights, just wait until you reach another location and can verify the security of the Wi-Fi.
Another step is to establish and use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN provides security even without any WEP or WPA airlink encryption by encrypting all inbound and outbound traffic. Even if someone was able to intercept and read your transmissions, it would be gibberish and unreadable without the proper cipher to decrypt the data.
If you have to get online and cannot establish a VPN, then you should ‘practice safe surfing’. This starts with verification of the SSID that you are attempting to connect to and make sure it is the exact network to which you want to log in. Don’t log in if the SSID is anything but identical to the one advertised as being provided in the location you’re in.
Once you are logged in, make sure that any sensitive traffic you engage in is over a secured site. Look for the certificate indicator in your browser and make sure any addresses for which you exchange information has the ‘https’ URL designator indicating a secure site.
By: Jeff Runyon
Posts Tagged ‘Network Security’
Wi-Fi and Hot-Spot Wireless Networking – How to Keep You and Your Computer Safe
February 28th, 2010Wi-Fi and Network Security
January 28th, 2010
Attacks on your network will be happening continuously on a 24/7/365 basis – attacks cause a range of issues from simple nuisance issues through to slowing your network performance and functionality and all the way through to causing your network and even worse, your data, to be lost or corrupted.
Attacks on your network are not just through email containing malicious code and attachments being sent to staff, or by simple web browsing and visiting sites which cause malware, viruses and Trojans to be downloaded – your network is exposed at any point where users (both authorized and non-authorized) can gain access to the network or wherever the network is connected to the outside world and particularly at the web gateway.
Security issues are very real and the losses which may be caused by attacks come with a huge financial price tag. The damage is not just to your bottom line but also to your assets, and particularly your business reputation. How many customers will be happy to learn that because your network security was breached, their private banking and personal information has been stolen or lost? What do you think a business regulator is going to make of your inability to produce financial records when they ask for them? How about an inability to produce email correspondence if you are engaged in a legal dispute?
Wireless connectivity is increasing and becoming an industry standard for accessing networks and the internet as well as being able to work remotely over the web. This means that there is a never ending variety of opportunities to gain access to the network by breaking in through the wireless gateway or by taking control of a remotely-linked machine.
One solution is to strengthen application security. Application security deals with the software programs which your staff are using and security solutions need to be put in place in order to ensure that hardware they are using cannot be compromised by non-authorized parties and also, that when they are running a program it only performs authorized tasks. For instance, an employee loses a laptop through theft – the laptop must not then be allowed to access the network remotely which can be achieved by using machine access codes, strong password policies to use an application and to access the network.
Another solution is to ensure that WiFi security is strengthened. Try this yourself, in your neighborhood, whether at work or at home, ask your computer to show you existing wireless networks (if you’re running Windows you can usually see an icon in your bottom taskbar on the right hand side). If there are wireless networks in the area, it will show you whether they are secured or unsecured. If you see an unsecured network, which is likely, you will be able to hop onto the internet using that connection and wireless router. Effectively this is stealing someone’s bandwidth but more importantly, it is allowing a third-party to come closer to gaining access to the network core, your data and your hardware.
By: Lawrence Reaves
Notebook And WiFi Standards
October 11th, 2009
Every modern notebook is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing internet access from any part of the globe. But while using your wireless notebook, you should be aware of Wi-Fi standards, hotspots, and how to effectively use this technology to make the optimum use of your notebook.
The 802.11g Wi-Fi standard is the latest standard, which your notebook follows when you are online. The Wi-Fi alphabet spaghetti consists of protocols like 802.11, 802.15, 802.16, and 802.20. However, for most notebook users 802.11 would be sufficient with added `a`, `b`, or `g`.
There are protocols like `e`, `h`, `i`, and `n` that are waiting in the wings to make their entry. Nevertheless, as of now, 802.11g is the only protocol that one needs to think when it comes to wireless connectivity. The latest Wi-Fi standard is the 802.11g and offers connection speeds up to 54 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz radio bands, which is five times more than the previous standard 802.11b. It is more stable, more secure, and backward compatible.
Almost all notebooks that are manufactured today are 802.11g Wi-Fi standard ready. This standard is also designed to replace the older Wired Equivalent Privacy or WEP by specifying the Wi-Fi Protected Access or WPA. The WPA will function as an interim solution, until the next standard, the 802.11i network security standard is implemented with a new algorithm called Temporal Key Integrity Protocol, which shall be much more secure and reliable.
However, until the new standard is implemented, the 802.11g is to be followed. There are only two disadvantages with this notebook Wi-Fi standard, that firstly, since it is a new standard, it may not perform as promised; and secondly, with fast emerging latest technologies, it may become obsolete by newer standards before you have the time to benefit from it.
Few tips for a secure Wi-Fi experience:
1 – You should raise the level of your laptop settings. Raise the security settings of software applications like Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer. Update them frequently to ensure latest protection from hackers and viruses. You should keep the encryption feature always on to ensure safest browsing with Wi-Fi.
2 – Along with the software, you should also consider updating to better hardware. Hackers have always found 802.11a and 802.11b very easy to hack. However, 802.11g is harder to crack and you should consider upgrading your hardware to a `g` card. An 802.11g is backward compatible with IEEE 802.11b, thus 802.11g can leverage the widespread, international adoption of IEEE 802.11b in products from laptops to PDAs. A personal firewall, such as ZoneAlarm or BlackICE can significantly add up to the security level of your notebook.
3 – Whenever you are using your notebook at a Wi-Fi hotspot, make it a point not to send data. While you are surfing, do not type your credit-card number, expiration date, passwords, bank account numbers, etc. Sensitive data are the goldmines for hackers, and they will swipe your bank account before you can finish saying, ` I have been a victim of online identity theft!`
4 – Consider not staying online while working. If the risks outweigh the benefits, then it would be better to stay offline; at least until the new 802.11i standard is not implemented. Even then, the security can be breached, albeit with difficulty. If you do not need Wi-Fi to implement your work, then stay switched off. If you need the Wi-Fi just to send and receive files, then stay connected for only that period. Rest of the time, stay offline.
Precautions to take at a public Wi-Fi hotspot:
Whenever you are in public domain, you need to take precautions, as it is free for all. The Wi-Fi hotspots are available to any and every person, and anybody can be connected. Besides online thefts, there is also the risk of offline thefts.
While in a public hotspot, do not be so absorbed with your notebook, that you fail to notice the people around you. There are persons who are in the business of stealing notebooks, from public hotspots. And they do not operate as individuals but as a gang.
Also, while you are online at a public hotspot, follow simple rules like encrypting files before transferring or emailing them; making sure you are connected to a legitimate access point; and file sharing is turned off. Basic precautions like password protecting your notebook, updating your system regularly, and using anti-virus software should be strictly followed. For further online security, consider using a personal firewall, a virtual private network (VPN), and web-based email with secure http (https).
Having a good Wi-Fi experience directly translates into a satisfying Internet experience. With the above suggestions being implemented, you are guaranteed to have a pleasant online time with your notebook.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author’s name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
By: Roberto Sedycias
