What Are The Risks Of Unsecure Wireless Networks What risks are they at?

[yordan 10]

people have said that using a mac filter on your router works! but i have read in other forums on this board that you can crack this mac filter, is that possible!
also, what is the best encryption method and does encryption slow down your internet access and data bandwidth?

Sorry, but this board is a technical solutions forum, not a cracking board.
Prabably some people are able to crack such things, but this is illegal, and helping doing illegal things is not allowed here.
I acknowledge that mac filter is not absolutely save because some people may crack it, but with a mac filter you are protected from most of people who, like me, will be stopped because they are not familiar with this.

[WeaponX 0]

also, what is the best encryption method and does encryption slow down your internet access and data bandwidth?

Usually most routers will have two encryption algorithms you can use. WEP or WPA. WPA is more secure than WEP so if you have that feature, use it over WEP. The more characters (and more random...not words in the dictionary) it is, the better the security. Changing your WPA/WEP password periodically is also very helpful. Even if someone wants to use your wireless connection, it will be almost impossible since you will be changing the password from time to time (this won't give them enough time to crack it in most cases if using WPA with a strong password).
Regarding whether it will slow things down or not, it probably will a little. I too have asked this question before in the past. See this topic.

[vhortex 1]

Usually most routers will have two encryption algorithms you can use. WEP or WPA. WPA is more secure than WEP so if you have that feature, use it over WEP. The more characters (and more random...not words in the dictionary) it is, the better the security. Changing your WPA/WEP password periodically is also very helpful. Even if someone wants to use your wireless connection, it will be almost impossible since you will be changing the password from time to time (this won't give them enough time to crack it in most cases if using WPA with a strong password).
Regarding whether it will slow things down or not, it probably will a little. I too have asked this question before in the past. See this topic.

on the topic of security.. depends on what soperating system you are using.. base on my self experiences, on windows with unsecured wireless connection being broadcast and a capable wireless snoop, you entirely exposed you whole computer using windows vulnirability attacks which are so many.

WEP or WPA, which is much secure depends also on the manufacturer and geo locations. mostly, i will go with WPA due to its much rigid design though implementations have variations from manufacturer to manufacturer. sadly, there was no global standard here yet though i can recommend using sysco stuffs like the lately purchased aironet.

[toby 0]

If you make your network invisable to those who don't know the names (like the splash screen of XP logon), and give it a password, they have to go through all that before decrypting your messages. Also, you can change the ssl keys or whatever it is. And you can limit what can connect. And you can make it not stretch further than your house.So on a public network, like Starbucks, it's not safe, but home networks can be almost perfectly safe.

[Artluo100 0]

If you have important, personal or confidential on your computer that is shared, people might be able to look at them. who knows what people can do sometimes?

[Ozwaldo 0]

Always use WPA to secure your wireless networks. Maybe one of your nieghbours is a hacker

[jbitkill 0]

I think that if you have some secret files on you PC (the phone number of your Girl Friend for instance) on a shared folder, the people sharing your unsecured Wifi network will read your files and know all your secret things.By the way, I think that the only real way to keep your secret secret is to put no real secret file on your PC.

What about if you changed your workgroup. The shared folders are assigned to the people in the workgroup/domain, not the network. If you want to change your workgroup, i'll be posting it in the how to/OS section.

Use WPA (WPA2 if you can), if you use WEP, it's got some holes that hackers go in.

Change your router password, stop the config of the router.

Hide your SSID (aka. don't broadcast your wifi name)

Restrict the devices on your network (i know this off a speedtouch585)

Use AntiVirus/Firewall/Spyware Protection to keep out some viruses/hackers

With the WPA, a strong password is a MUST!

It's helpful helping!
xxxx-jozh-xxxx

[iGuest 3]

How secure is your pc, if or when you connect to an unsecured wireless network,,eg hotspots..? Can anyone view your info.. Being transmitted,,? and can anyone access and or steal your personal info, that's on your pc..?Thanks.Cw-question by C. Walcott

[iGuest 3]

Password protection

What Are The Risks Of Unsecure Wireless Networks

 

Is it possible for someone with whom I share a network wireless connection to have access to my email, messenger, etc passwords?

If so, how can I protect myself?

Thanks, Nani.

 

-question by Nani

[iGuest 3]

wifi & wifi adapter security

What Are The Risks Of Unsecure Wireless Networks

 

I'm able to use unsecured WIFI where I work.

My laptop is old and required a WIFI adapter. I set it to PSK2; but I don't know if it's secure enough.

 

BTW my WIFI adapter never asks me for my password, even though I chose one when I installed the program.

 

Is that normal?

 

Help!

 

Maybe I should go with Clearwire instead...Though it is $36 monthly.

[iGuest 3]

First of all ..Hi every one ,

I have read all your comments and I'm impressed a bout all the knowledge has been discussed so far

Its pretty much a risky shot to leave you router access point unsecured .

Almost all people now know all dangers a bout this issue , and they set passkeys (WEP or WPA) encryptions on their networks .

But if you can still find some of unsecured networks that is because the owners of the networks don't know how to secure their Wi-fi networks or because of a rare issue which is that the computers connected to the network can't access the internet if its (WEP) encrypted even if they have the passphrase , on some kind of routers that came with some ADSL offers .

So  if you don't wanna secure yours its your choice but sooner or later I thin you think about it again cause their non-one advantage to leave it unsecured .

And about the hacking stuff . You have to keep your important stuff on a DVD or something and don't leave it on the hard drive ., even if you are alone on wired network.

Thanks if read this comment and thanks if you didn't too

-reply by xRays

[iGuest 3]

Hi again ,

what did you set when you were installing the router the password to access the router page(I guess) , so you wanna log on to the router home page by entering its IP in the address bar on the explorer .

192.168.1.1

192.168.0.1

192.168.1.254

most of the routers I've seen uses one of these , any way .

and go to the wireless configuration and enable the wpa-psk2 encryption .

If that is not the problem ,  sorry for bothering. And best wishes.

-reply by xrays

 

[iGuest 3]

Danger of using an unsecured wireless networkWhat Are The Risks Of Unsecure Wireless NetworksIf I take my laptop and use some anonymous unsecured wireless router to get internet access, what are the chances that the router's owner can see and copy the files on my hard drive or USB external drives?I have no sharing turned on at all, and I would be using Linux.How easy would it be to grab all my files if my user account didn't require a password to log in with? If the owner of the wireless router is hacker savvy, could she or he access my hard drive and connected drives with ease?-question by Bray

[yordan 10]

Danger of using an unsecured wireless network

 

What Are The Risks Of Unsecure Wireless Networks

 

 

 

If I take my laptop and use some anonymous unsecured wireless router to get internet access, what are the chances that the router's owner can see and copy the files on my hard drive or USB external drives?

 

I have no sharing turned on at all, and I would be using Linux.

 

How easy would it be to grab all my files if my user account didn't require a password to log in with? If the owner of the wireless router is hacker savvy, could she or he access my hard drive and connected drives with ease?

 

 

 

-question by Bray

OK, first of all, I'm not a hacker, so I cannot really say what a hacker can do.

However, from what you say, you are doing something which make people angry.

On my router, I pay a lot of money, for a very small bandwidth.

So, if I see a guy connected to my network, using my bandwidth, maybe doing illegal things on behalf of my own identity, I can do bad things.

The router will tell me the IP address (easy, you are on my network). So, I will try to telnet to your IP address, if your PC has no password, I will have a look at your files.

Maybe I will rename your files, but if I get angry too much, I will remove everything I can see. And I will try to make your PC unusable.

 

Look, you behave as an intruder, how do you thing other people will answer to your intrusion?

If you see somebody entering your bathroom during your shower, will you appreciate? Or somebody entering during your dinner, taking some food and going out without saying "hello" or "please"?

 

So, watch out. If you behave as an intruder, you must know that there will be a reaction. If your PC is not protected, any stupid guy can destroy it because he masters his home network and you are inside his home. If your PC is strongly protected, a hacker will need some minutes in order to enter inside it, but he will finally enter, and the results can be worse.

 

So, if you want to surf safely, try to find the public hotspots most of the ISP providers offer, this should be enough for your purposes.

[fermin25 3]

Well the riskies of use the unsecure wireless networks are logic. You can get an infection with a virus or you can get your computer hacked and lost information or damage your operative system. I recommend to use a good antivirus with firewall and spyware like protection but if you don´t want to take this riskies you can simply try to don´t use these wireless connections in public places and only use them when the situation is extremely necessary. I heard one day, I don´t remember exactly when this happened, but here in my country that have a sub-development in technology and in computers, a guy could to access to private information of a lot of people like credit cards numbers and bank accounts and start to steal money from the people that connected in a wireless network that worked in a mall. The guy was discovered for some FBI agents but he only could steal like $10,000 because some accounts can´t be totally hacked. In only five months the guy got out of the jail and five days later was found dead with a shot in his head because one of the people that he stole take revenge with his life.So this is an example that if you make something bad you will pay everything you do. So if you don´t want to be steal and hacked please avoid these connections and only use your personal internet connection or only networks where you are sure that anyone can hack your computer. Please don´t make the classic mistake of connect to a wireless network without a good antivirus and a good firewall.Bye.