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Thread: Wireless

  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    Angry Wireless

    Thanks for that article on Wireless LAN's at airports zigar , an excpetional read.

    I have recently been investigating the risks/vulnerabilities associated with Wireless technology, and I am astounded that any company that deals with even semi-confidential data considers to use it.

    I have bucked heads with our Wireless guy, who assures me that it is not insecure, and that it is simply getting a bad wrap. But where theres smoke theres fire, right??

    Has anyone else has to investigate the security, risks, vulnerabilities regarding Wireless technology? If so, I would love to hear your findings.
    SoggyBottom.

    [glowpurple]There were so many fewer questions when the stars where still just the holes to heaven - JJ[/glowpurple] [gloworange]I sure could use a vacation from this bull$hit, three ringed circus side show of freaks. - Tool. [/gloworange]

  2. #2
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    First, if you're referring to 802.11 WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy), WEP has already been broken.

    Second, if you encrypt a link, you make it harder for new nodes to join, and the channel key would have to be distributed or made public anyway.

    Thirdly, you can't guarantee that your data won't be routed over un-encrypted links, or that the node owners aren't sniffing the traffic that they route.

    Using WEP provides a false sense of security, which in itself can be dangerous.

    A far better approach is to use end-to-end security. This is where the applications implement the security without relying on the network
    (e.g. SSH or SSL (as in HTTPS)), or the hosts under your control create a VPN (virtual private network) perhaps by using IPSec.

  3. #3
    Priapistic Monk KorpDeath's Avatar
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    Lightbulb DOH!

    The only way I've found to somewhat secure a WLAN is by putting a VPN box on the other side with a MAC rule inplace to only allow certain MAC addresses.
    However that won't necessarily stop someone with a wireless sniffer sitting in the parking lot and sniffing away.(like they did at 3com)

    Wireless LAN is still in it's infancy and I won't approve that technology to be used on our network. It's fine for the home but the vulnerabilities are still far too large to ignore.

    You WLAN guy should go read up on his own technology before trying to convince anyone.
    Mankind have a great aversion to intellectual labor; but even supposing knowledge to be easily attainable, more people would be content to be ignorant than would take even a little trouble to acquire it.
    - Samuel Johnson

  4. #4
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    I agree with all of you !

    Wireless LAN's are insecure today and should not be used in a company dealing with confidential information. but it'll probably be better in time as everything else tend to be

  5. #5
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    Wireless

    Ive heard that locking the nodes down to permit specific MAC addresses is still somewhat of a vulnerability as MAC address are relatively easily spoofed.
    SoggyBottom.

    [glowpurple]There were so many fewer questions when the stars where still just the holes to heaven - JJ[/glowpurple] [gloworange]I sure could use a vacation from this bull$hit, three ringed circus side show of freaks. - Tool. [/gloworange]

  6. #6
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    My last post on this could probably have included a little more detail. This link should shed some more light on the WEP algorithm which was meant to make wireless networks secure.

    http://www.isaac.cs.berkeley.edu/isaac/wep-faq.html

    Enjoy...
    OpenBSD - The proactively secure operating system.

  7. #7
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    Re: DOH!

    Originally posted by KorpDeath

    However that won't necessarily stop someone with a wireless sniffer sitting in the parking lot and sniffing away.(like they did at 3com)

    I read an article on wireless hacking at HackInTheBox. It's known as Drive By Hacking!
    \"It\'s not wise to argue with a fool...people might not be able to tell the difference!\"


  8. #8
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    yeah wireless networks are not secure doesn't matter how you put it ...802.11 has a major problems with ssid ....
    plsu i just got out of a meeting with the cisco dude and to put his way: "it's not really to expand networks, just a convenient way of doing work around to office while moving around, the tech isn't there yet" ...

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