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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."

5 of 161 comments (clear)

  1. No password WiFi != unsecured by Omnifarious · · Score: 5, Informative

    My Wi-Fi has no password, and that's a purposeful choice. While evaluating the passwords on WiFi that does have a password is a reasonable analysis, it's not reasonable to call any WiFi without a password as unsecured.

    --
    Need a Python, C++, Unix, Linux develop
    1. Re:No password WiFi != unsecured by JayJay.br · · Score: 5, Informative

      Not if the communication is not encrypted and there is any traffic at the time.

  2. Re:OT Question by mellon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yes. Vote in the November election. Lobby your congresscritters to keep the common carrier defense applicable to the Internet.

  3. 5 seconds? by cfc-12 · · Score: 5, Funny

    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."

    I'm impressed. I can't connect to my own wireless network in less than 5 seconds.

  4. 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.