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Home WiFi Network Security Failings Exposed

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the passwords-are-for-suckers dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The shocking state of home wireless (Wi-Fi) network security in the UK has been revealed by a life assistance company study. CPP used an 'ethical hacker,' Jason Hart, to test thousands of Wi-Fi networks across six UK cities, including London. He found that many didn't even have a password and roughly half of home UK Wi-Fi networks could be hacked in less than 5 seconds."

11 of 161 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No password WiFi == unsecured by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You seem to be confusing "unsecured" with "insecure". They do not mean the same thing.

    Unsecured WIFI means you have no password..

    Just because it's intentionally unsecured doesn't mean it's not unsecured.

  2. Umm, no. by schon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My Wi-Fi has no password, and that's a purposeful choice.

    Which doesn't mean it's not unsecured. It just means that it's unsecured on purpose.

    Supposed you have a bicycle. You chain it to a lamppost. It is now secured.
    Supposed you take the same bicycle and decide purposely to not chain it to anything. Just because you decided not to chain it doesn't make it magically secured. It's still unsecured, you just made the decision not to secure it.

    1. Re:Umm, no. by sjames · · Score: 2, Insightful

      However, in the latter case, you can no longer be said to have failed somehow.

    2. Re:Umm, no. by Abcd1234 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Which doesn't mean it's not unsecured. It just means that it's unsecured on purpose.

      Not quite. I have two WAPs, one with WPA2-PSK connected to my internal LAN with a ridiculously long key, another open and isolated in a DMZ with very limited access to my LAN. As such, while the WAP isn't locked down, I'd argue it is secured.

  3. Not Shocking by timeOday · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I hate the alarming tone of these passe "war driving" articles. A car or home can be broken into in 5 seconds by breaking a window. Most mailboxes where I live (including mine) are just boxes with a little non-locking door on the front that anybody can open.

    And yet, the world keeps on turning.

    Hopping onto somebody's wifi doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean you can get their personal documents, or banking info, or anything else.

    1. Re:Not Shocking by Nidi62 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Hopping onto somebody's wifi doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean you can get their personal documents, or banking info, or anything else.

      But you CAN download music on their network and ruin them for life if the RIAA/MPAA finds out.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  4. Re:No password WiFi != unsecured by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Some of us are quite happy to provide a little bit of free access to those who need it.

    also, it helps to have a little bit of plausible deniability when ACS:Law come calling...

  5. So cute... by twebb72 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Its so cute how kids today think 'hacking' is obtaining access to an unprotected WAP.

  6. If it only takes 5 seconds to 'break in' by jenningsthecat · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ... then it's not called 'hacking', it's called 'connecting to an open access point'. Next thing you know, sticking a DVD in your computer's drive and installing software will be called 'hacking'. Have we fallen so far?

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  7. Re:No password WiFi != unsecured by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Even if it is encrypted, you'll see the MAC in the clear.

  8. Re:OT Question by IndustrialComplex · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Thanks for responding in a civil manner even though I was a bit snarky.

    When you get down to it, any 'radio' is broadcasting if you define the area of measurement narrowly enough.

    --
    Out of modpoints but really liked a post? 1BDkF6TtmmeZ3yqXbz9yhdYVqRYnwFoXDj