RE: Wireless Security

["Herman Frederick Ebeling, Jr." <hfebelingjr () lycos com>]

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  -----Original Message-----
  From: Charlie James [mailto:snow.covered.bamboo () gmail com]
  Sent: Thursday, 13 October, 2005 15:02
  To: hfebelingjr () lycos com
  Subject: Re: Wireless Security





  On 10/12/05, Herman Frederick Ebeling, Jr. <hfebelingjr () lycos com> wrote:

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  Hi, Herman

  See between for my responses.



    I've got a question (actually a few) along these lines.  Let's say that a
person has a Wi-Fi network setup at home.
 And they find out that some of their neighbors have accessed it.

    A)      What if any obligation to the neighbors does the person who
initially setup the Wi-Fi network have?

  They have none. These neighbors are hacking the access point. First you should
turn off the SSID broadcast and rename
it. Second you should implenet WTLS, if available, and if you equipment is up to
date turn on WAP2 security.  WEP's
cypher steam algorithm is weak but better than nothing. Read the manual and
google search your wifi equipment to set
the proper security.

  Also, move you access point to the middle of the house so it is seperated by
your walls. You may be able to adjust
the strenght of the signal as well so it doesn't go beyond your home by to much.

  ====>    Good points, now how do we educate the rest of the public so that
they do this?



    B)      What happens IF one neighbor goes in and reads/deletes msgs/files
from another neighbor's computer is the
person who initially setup the Wi-Fi network for their own use liable?

  No, read above. These neighbors are hacking your wifi. Also, if you have your
computer systems set up with proper
authentication as well as hardening of the operating system , user accounts with
strong passwords, etc they will not be
able to access your files. Turn of Windows file sharing, etc.

  ====>    Some have hinted/said that the one who initially setup Wi-Fi network
might have some liability if one
neighbor hacks another neighbors computer while illegally on the Wi-Fi network.
I think that it might be safe to
presume that IF someone is going to be hacking their neighbor's Wi-Fi network
that they might NOT have thought of
hardening their own system.



    C)      Can the person who initially setup the Wi-Fi network legally go in
and look
    around his/her neighbors computers?

  No, you can not. It is hacking and with out their permissions you are breaking
the law. So don't do it under any
circumstances.

  ====>    Not even to find out just WHO is accessing their Wi-Fi network?



    D)      What if one the neighbors get a virus, is the person who initially
setup the
    Wi-Fi network liable?

  If you have proper security, firewalls, antivirus, sypware protection, wifi
security, and you have educated your
family ( users) to proper internet travel you will not get a virus. If they get
one through your wireless and they are
hacking it cause they can then they have to deal with it. Regardless, protect
your self by instituting security on all
your systems and wifi access point.

  ====>    Gotta agree with ya there.



    E)      What if any expectations to privacy do the unauthorized users have?

  None, they are hacking your system illegally. Just becuase a signal is
available does not mean you can use it. Also,
if you set up the proper wifi security, operating system security/hardening, and
all that then you are basically
cutting them out of your access. If they continue then they are at risk not you.

  ====>    And I've gotta agree with ya there.  I would think that the owner of
the Wi-Fi network would/should have the
right to analyze any and all packets going across their network.

    Herman



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