ALL keys are susceptible to brute force attacks, its all a matter of time.
Now unless I'm horribly wrong, a WPA-PSK key is 256 binary bits. Meaning 64 hex characters. Because you don't have to be on site like you do with WEP, an attacker can take is loot home and crack it at his leisure. Heck start one brute force at the beginning and work forward and have another machine start at the end and work back. In todays world computing power is cheap and its only going to get cheaper. Its obvious the guy knew what he was doing and had his target in mind. Had he encountered WPA it would have been little more than an inconvenience. I don't think that a change in encryption would have made much of a difference here.
What most people don't realize is that WPA isn't much better unless you use RADIUS. Where cracking wep requires you to catch thousands of IV's, cracking WPA requires only the 4 way handshake and the use of a decent dictionary or brute force attack AWAY FROM THE SITE. WPA requires less "sitting outside the store creepy-ness".
Not broadcasting the ssid is of little use either. An attacker can simply wait for a computer to connect to the network or spray a bunch of deauth packets then get it when it reauths. If its WPA they'll also get the 4-way handshake at this time. If you have important information on a network, DO NOT PUT YOUR WIRELESS IN THE TRUSTED AREA.
My experiences at Gamestop and the like have been less than stellar. The stores are always really small and packed to occupancy with overweight 12 year olds manhandling their mothers pocketbooks out of her hands to they can buy the latest version of superkillerbloodfestwithdrugsalcaholnuditysexandev erythingelse 9000! Sure its rated mature but the parents have trained their kids that if they scream loud enough they will get it. The clerks think that they are absolutely the most awesome think since *insert video game character of choice* and they treat the customers like garbage if they have even the slightest hesitation about buying something. It also seems like they only carry "brand spanking new game X" and if you want something else your SOL. Whenever I ask about a PC game they look at me like I'm some kind of idiot. "You want that on a PC?!?!" is their usual response. Yes I want it on the blasted PC, I built my gaming machine TO PLAY GAMES. WHAT A NOVEL CONCEPT! But its not surprising, have you seen the size of the PC section in relation to, oh say, the used games section. At my stores there is one shelf half as tall as I am. How can they expect to compete with wally world and Best Buy when those larger chains offer me a better experience, lower prices, and service that is helpful. The Walmart PC game shelf is bigger too...
Based on descriptions of the attacks in the article it looks like your general attacker is some kiddie that wields Google like a broad sword. Sure, they did have some attempts to recruit the honeypot into a bot net or set up a phishing attempt but most of the attacks just overwrote index (with text from a tutorial no less) or moved around in the file system. I didn't know the ratio of kiddies to people who know what their doing was so out of whack.
Sure, the United States is brutal. Just keep telling yourself that when some genocidal maniac comes to power right across your border and you have to try to fend them off with your peaceful thoughts and good intentions. Care Bear Stare everyone!
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ALL keys are susceptible to brute force attacks, its all a matter of time.
Now unless I'm horribly wrong, a WPA-PSK key is 256 binary bits. Meaning 64 hex characters. Because you don't have to be on site like you do with WEP, an attacker can take is loot home and crack it at his leisure. Heck start one brute force at the beginning and work forward and have another machine start at the end and work back. In todays world computing power is cheap and its only going to get cheaper. Its obvious the guy knew what he was doing and had his target in mind. Had he encountered WPA it would have been little more than an inconvenience. I don't think that a change in encryption would have made much of a difference here.
What most people don't realize is that WPA isn't much better unless you use RADIUS. Where cracking wep requires you to catch thousands of IV's, cracking WPA requires only the 4 way handshake and the use of a decent dictionary or brute force attack AWAY FROM THE SITE. WPA requires less "sitting outside the store creepy-ness". Not broadcasting the ssid is of little use either. An attacker can simply wait for a computer to connect to the network or spray a bunch of deauth packets then get it when it reauths. If its WPA they'll also get the 4-way handshake at this time. If you have important information on a network, DO NOT PUT YOUR WIRELESS IN THE TRUSTED AREA.
My experiences at Gamestop and the like have been less than stellar. The stores are always really small and packed to occupancy with overweight 12 year olds manhandling their mothers pocketbooks out of her hands to they can buy the latest version of superkillerbloodfestwithdrugsalcaholnuditysexandev erythingelse 9000! Sure its rated mature but the parents have trained their kids that if they scream loud enough they will get it. The clerks think that they are absolutely the most awesome think since *insert video game character of choice* and they treat the customers like garbage if they have even the slightest hesitation about buying something. It also seems like they only carry "brand spanking new game X" and if you want something else your SOL. Whenever I ask about a PC game they look at me like I'm some kind of idiot. "You want that on a PC?!?!" is their usual response. Yes I want it on the blasted PC, I built my gaming machine TO PLAY GAMES. WHAT A NOVEL CONCEPT! But its not surprising, have you seen the size of the PC section in relation to, oh say, the used games section. At my stores there is one shelf half as tall as I am. How can they expect to compete with wally world and Best Buy when those larger chains offer me a better experience, lower prices, and service that is helpful. The Walmart PC game shelf is bigger too...
Now we need tinfoil goggles 0_0!
This has made firecrackers much MUCH more entertaining. *runs off to buy stock in black cat fireworks co.*
Now people want to take a way to get around filters and FILTER it...
Based on descriptions of the attacks in the article it looks like your general attacker is some kiddie that wields Google like a broad sword. Sure, they did have some attempts to recruit the honeypot into a bot net or set up a phishing attempt but most of the attacks just overwrote index (with text from a tutorial no less) or moved around in the file system. I didn't know the ratio of kiddies to people who know what their doing was so out of whack.
Sure, the United States is brutal. Just keep telling yourself that when some genocidal maniac comes to power right across your border and you have to try to fend them off with your peaceful thoughts and good intentions. Care Bear Stare everyone!