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Security Over A Wi-fi Network
Wired Equivalent Protection (WEP) Security issues with WEP became obvious moments after the technology launched. With small keys and the requirement of so many packets carrying the key it was easy to devise several ways to intercept the wireless signal and eventually get the key. Don’t think this is easy, as your everyday user isn’t going to have what it takes to do such a thing. A skilled hacker with the right gear is going to need to target you then go after your key with zeal. This would mean you have something of value they want such as credit card information, usernames for bank accounts, and what not. Despite these issues, WEP is popular today due to the fact that although the security can be breached, it is good enough for almost every average user. Businesses that depend on a wireless network to any degree would have more security in place. Service Set Identifiers (SSID) SSID alone offers no protection to the network, but can be used in conjunction with other technologies to help wrap up a lose connection. SSIDs attach themselves to each packet sent or received via a particular Wi-Fi network. Any packet without the SSID is rejected and no connection can be made. This technology also allows the user to give their network a unique name. This will help and make sure you don’t connect to the wrong network. Doesn’t sound like a problem right? It is. The Evil Twin attack is a tried and true technique used to scam people out of all kinds of information. A hacker will enter into an existing Wi-Fi network with his own Wireless Access Point, usually set up with a laptop for easy transport. Once the two networks are in place, the hacker will use a confusingly similar network name to confuse people into using his WAP in place of the existing one. If you are logging on at your favorite bookstore and instead of seeing the usual login screen you see this: • Bill’s Best Books • Bill’s B3st Books You have to choose which network to use, and the hacker may try to get his network on top of the list. Be very careful what choice you make when logging on. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) WPA was designed to be an upgraded replacement for WEP. With a larger key size as well as the fact that fewer packets carried key fragments (meaning more packets would need to be intercepted to ever have a chance to break the key) WPA is a stronger security solution. Designed by the Wi-Fi Alliance, WPA has penetrated the market to a degree that it could very well unify wireless security in the near future. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com About the Author Jon Norwood is a founder and managing partner of the directory Wireless Internet, a site dedicated to providing information on Internet Service Providers, as well as guides on how to best choose a service. |
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