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Is your Wi-Fi secure? Do you "borrow" other peoples Wi-Fi?

I have two networks, one thats visible and running WPA2 with a stupidly long password. This one is for regular use and is on all the time. I then have a second one running WEP for the DS/PSP that is only active when I'm using the DS/PSP. I take my wireless security pretty seriously... We're on a corner lot so plenty of room for abuse.
 
I am on WPA2 and my key is basically a hashed version of a 128 bit hex key. I cant even crack my wifi :D Which is nice, cause my ex-neighbors used to crack my WEP before I switched to WPA ( i was a noob back then). When I am out I will borrow connections if I need to. :D
 
Wake up to the risk you are exposing yourself to!

You may be surprised how drop-dead simple it is to "sniff" traffic on a wireless network -- EVERY SINGLE packet of data coming and going can be spliced back together by someone else on that network! (the only exception is encrypted connections, but that is a rare exception and their are fancier work-arounds for "dedicated" crackers)

http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/hackertools/a/aa121403.htm

This means web history, e-mail, chat, including passwords that are sent in plain-text. (FTP, POP and SMTP are prime suspects, as well as many web site login areas)

Also, a lot of Windows computers are set up with default network shares and are susceptible to more attacks from an internal network, especially if you don't keep up with all the updates and/or are not running a firewall.

So the question is, do you 100% trust everyone on the network you connect to? If it is your network, lock it down! If you are connecting to someone else's network, know the risks! Also, remember that someone who may appear to be innocent enough may have had their computer compromised at some point.

I hope you find this info helpful. Do a little research if you think I am just spouting FUD. Thank you.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
I kept my secure. Simple and easy to do. Now I have borrowed others wireless before. Hell for an entire summer I leach off some one else wireless because they left it open. I used the other person's because I was having trouble getting the one were I was staying working.

Now in my college days one of my neighbors left there wireless unsecured and on default settings. Took me all of 30 sec to get into it. first time I just changed the wireless name to tell them that they needed to change the default password at least.

Next time I really screwed with it and lock them out of there own wireless. I heard a lot of cussing and yelling so I went back in and unlock it but it was funny.
Click to expand...

Why is this funny?:confused:
 
Mine at home has WPA2 encryption and MAC addressing.

My internet at my Apartment off campus is just WPA2.
 
designguy79 said:
So the question is, do you 100% trust everyone on the network you connect to? If it is your network, lock it down! If you are connecting to someone else's network, know the risks! Also, remember that someone who may appear to be innocent enough may have had their computer compromised at some point.

I hope you find this info helpful. Do a little research if you think I am just spouting FUD. Thank you.
Click to expand...

I disable ALL sharing on unsecured WiFi from my computer and use a VPN. On an unsecured network a hacker would go for the "lesser" computers with more sharing enabled on them and no VPN or the like on them.
 
WP2 Personal and hidden. Available only if your MAC address is loaded into my AEBS.

Can't afford a leecher to get onto my blazing fast 3 MBPS network :rolleyes:

I was just using somebody's network. The good old default Linksys. I loves me some unprotected linksys and belkins.
 
pilotError said:
WPA2 Personal

I used to leave it open because I didn't want the hassle of friends coming over and having to type a password.

At some point, my internet started really crawling. My lovely neighbor next door decided to leach his entire house off my router. I cut him off by putting his MAC addresses in the dissallow list, but he had the nerve to change a couple of his ethernet cards. He actually told me his internet stopped working, I offered to fix it but he refused. He had a "friend" that did his networking for him.

The day after I cut him off for the second time, his kid came over and was telling me his internet stopped working.

Some people just suck...

Then again...

I work in NYC and they don't allow wireless into our networks (for good reason). Some of my co-workers would hunt down wireless routers and use the default password for the router. I would say 6 times out of 10, they would be able to get in and add themselves to the router.

Sorry for the long story, in short, secure your router, change the default admin password...
Click to expand...

They really go to far... it's a shame...

Mine at my parents is secured with WEP (64 bits). I have already cracked such keys and I can tell it's quite easy. I am moving soon in a combo and mine own will be WPA secured, or maybe I will not even use wireless. I am a security maniac. :D
 
Wpa2 personal and hidden over here. I've used my neighboors wifi every now Nd then. When my connection goes down and i get a call and need to remote into a server or pc. That's about it.
 
I use WPA2 at home. I have the SSID hidden, but it doesn't really help. I just keep forgetting to change it. Anybody who seriously wants to get into a wireless network can easily discover non-broadcasting SSIDs. Once you accept the fact that anything traveling over the airwaves can be captured, you just have to do you best to make breaking it a pain in the neck. Most people who are wardriving will simply move on to an easier target if they just want access. If they really want into your network, then it is a different story.

I deal with IT security for work, and I have done this kind of stuff. Outside of work, I'll just look for an easier target. If I'm just out and about with my laptop or my Touch, then I'll peek around and borrow somebody's open WiFi, but I don't go out wardriving for fun.
 
VPN's

WPA2 with long, random char password and MAC filtering. I've used open networks once or twice, but nothing major and only for 5 mins tops.

I'm noticing some of you used a VPN to connect, which service are you using? I'd like to set one up myself but haven't found any real options or instructions for OS X.
 
I can see a few networks from my room but our wifi isn't secured. Doesn't need to be, the signal doesn't work in the garden let alone beyond that.
I've never borrowed other peoples wifi without permission. Never had the opportunity! All my friends places and anywhere my laptop will be all have their own wifi connections.
 
WPA2 Personal + hidden (it doesn't help security but, I don't need anyone to know at a glance that I have wifi either y'know?). My neighbors are mostly too far to pickup the signal anyway. I've thought about MAC filtering and additional limiting options available but decided it wasn't worth the effort for my situation. I am protective of my network though, keeping an eye on access logs from time to time.

In my college years I was in an apartment that for a short while was stuck on dialup. I found a completely open network from a neighbor and used that for some light browsing. They eventually secured it. :D

Out and about with my iPhone I'm surprised at how many default configured networks I see (lots and lots of 2wire, some linksys, and someone on my street has 'c*nt' without the *).
 
I've got my system on pretty tight lock down. Wpa Mac address lock and a unisys lock sequence. Gotta have it live in an apartment complex just down from a high tech media college.
 
apfhex said:
Out and about with my iPhone I'm surprised at how many default configured networks I see (lots and lots of 2wire, some linksys, and someone on my street has 'c*nt' without the *).
Click to expand...

Ha, I ll have to screencap the next time I wardrive, someone about 3 miles from me has "GET THE F*CK OFF MY WIFI". Oddly enough its WEP. :D :D:D :cool:
 
Mine is totally wide open and unsecured. Of course, my nearest neighbor is about 100 yards or more away. Somebody would have to park in my driveway to get on my network. Even then, it's an iffy proposition with the signal trying to pass out from the basement through a 3-foot thick fieldstone foundation. I generally get one or two bars on my airport signal at any location in the yard or on the deck where I might actually sit, and nothing at all more than about 50 feet from the house.
 
Yup, the home WiFi uses WPA2 :) Back in the days when 802.11b with WEP was normal, I used MAC-address filtering :)

I don't steal WiFi...it's wrong, and besides, when I need internet on the go, I can just tether to my cell phone.
 
pilotError said:
He actually told me his internet stopped working, I offered to fix it but he refused. He had a "friend" that did his networking for him.

The day after I cut him off for the second time, his kid came over and was telling me his internet stopped working.

Some people just suck...
Click to expand...

Sounds like maybe he didn't know he was using your connection. Maybe his "friend" found your network and set it up for him and told him, "See? Free internet!" Or maybe he thought it was one of your other neighbors.
 
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