The wireless networking of computers (known as “WiFi”) is becoming all the rage with users of the Internet, particularly those who have “broadband” high-speed DSL or cable Internet service. Intense promotion by manufacturers and retailers of WiFi touts easy connection of multiple computers to the Internet and greater mobility to those using laptop computers, all by using tiny radio transmitter/receivers. Goodbye to all of those pesky wires! However, having just spent three days at the Defcon computer security convention in Las Vegas, I’ve seen the ease with which even marginally capable bad guys can mess with your wireless network. Sadly, the manufacturers and retailers aren’t really doing much to educate consumers about having a safe WiFi experience.
Those who attack wireless networks can have a variety of goals, the most popular being the theft of Internet service. If your WiFi network is sufficiently full of holes, the bad guys can easily access your Internet connection for free, and even share it with others. Other goals can include simple network “vandalism,” theft of sensitive information for financial gain, and even “harmless” snooping. Think about it: if you knew that, with a few easy keystrokes, you could read your neighbors’ email undetected, what would you do?
A common mistake is to believe that, because you are “only” a home or small business WiFi user, that you are less at risk than a large, corporate system. Actually, the opposite is true. Unless proper action is taken, the bad guys see the small wireless network user as the low hanging fruit, and will usually attack there first. Large corporations usually have the money to properly secure their large systems, although there are exceptions. A young man from Michigan is currently serving a nine-year federal prison sentence for stealing credit card numbers from a local Lowe’s store by penetrating its unsecured wireless network.
Faced with these facts, what’s a person to do? The easiest solution is simply to not use wireless networking. If you have multiple computers that need Internet access, or that need to be networked together, do it the old fashioned way by using wires. Sure, it’s more trouble that way, but instantly more secure. At least then you know that you are safe from the local “wardrivers” — the term used for those who drive around with their WiFi-enabled laptop computers, scanning for wireless networks (and yes, we have lots of them in Norman). If you insist on using WiFi, and you are not an experienced computer professional, then you must read and understand every word of the manuals that came with your equipment, and even that’s not enough. Don’t buy ultra-cheap, on-sale equipment that still uses older, insecure protocols. If you insist on going the “do-it-yourself” route, then search the Internet for good advice regarding WiFi security, and make sure that you properly configure and secure your system. To do anything less is to invite disaster.