• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Are you really secure?

N

Neurorelay

Platinum Member
After a year of going wireless in the house, finally got around to securing the darn thing. Enabled some wep, disabled ssid broadcast, only allowing access via mac address....hardware firewall on mobo, software firewall and antivirus. Am I secure, or is it just an illusion?
 
To the casual person who might be close enough to pickup your signal, you're pretty safe. For the experienced hacker who has nothing better to do than hack you, you've made it harder for them.

techfuzz
 
hmmm well i hope my neighbor here doesn't get as "smart" as you are...sounds like ur doing all the right things...i'd rather search for another open AP than try and crack into urs 😀
 
From time to time, I pick up a low level signal from a neighbor here..they did change their ssid to a numbered scheme....but forgot to turn off the broadcast.....tried connecting but the signal was so low couldn't get in....that is what made me figure I should button up mine, looks like wireless is making it into my little rural town.
 
I just turned off the SSID. No encryption on mine.

Then again, everybody around me has dialup and no wifi.

I did pick up one network though, was an Macintosh 😛
 
Originally posted by: cavemanmoron
Originally posted by: quakefiend420
its an illusion...i'm posting from your connection roght now... :shocked:
Click to expand...

😉

LOL I use cat5 and a linksys router hub.🙂
Click to expand...

yup...i'm using a linksys router, cat5, and a hub for my networking...no wireless at all...although i've been thinking of getting it so i can nef from my pda when my gf plays galaxies 🙂

well...i can post from the htpc when she's on...but the pda sounds more fun, lol
 
Turning off SSID does not make you any more secure. I have walked around my neighborhood with my Dell Axim X30 while running WiFiFoFum and picked up several unsecured APs that disabled SSID broadcast. Good scanners don't need an SSID to pick up a network they just need to see activity.
 
what kind of area do you live in ? Apt ? Highrise ? House in suburbia ? The more people around you who can pick up a signal, the more likely someone will try and hack you.

I have the same security measurements as you took and I live in a house in suburbia. The chances of someone around here (or someone parking their car outside) are slimmer than someone with about 50 tenants in the same apartment highrise. So I guess your question is relative.

Anyway:
No Internet > Wired > Wireless (but what you've done is the best you can do) 😉
 
i am secure because of the distance from my house to the neighbors and the lack of traffic in our neighborhood

i do run 40-bit WEP , but seriously, there is no one close enough to get my signal, they would have to park in my driveway, i think i would notice that
 
People may say, nebulously, that you're pretty secure but "not perfect", but in practical terms how exactly could you be hacked? I'm not saying you're secure against the full resources of the NSA trying to break your network, but in real terms I don't think there is a damn thing that could happen to you. SSID broadcasted or not, if you have mac address filtering on and also encryption (WEP being inferior to that other one, can't remember what it's called!), then I'd like somebody to give a _real_ example of how a hacker could start using your internet connection and/or intercepting your data and descrambling it.
 
:roll:

nothing it completely secure. give someone enough time and knowledge and they can break into any system.

for my clients i tell them the same thing. security isn't defined by how hard it is for someone to get in but by whethor or not you've "covered your @ss". fact is, no one in their right mind is going to expect a doctors office that might be pulling in $600,000 / yr gross to spend $3000.00 on firewalls and maintenance /year. most of my clients usually stay at around the Sonic Wall level. is it secure? reasonably so, is it perfect? no, but then neither is the top of the line cisco router. it's just harder to break in.

another analogy is your car. is it secure if you just lock the door? what if you lock it and set the alarm? what if you lock it, set the alarm and club it? what if you lock it, set the alarm, club it and garage it? . . .

at what point is that car secure? well it really depends on what the car is and how badly someone wants it. if they want it bad enough it is virtually impossible to stop them from stealing it.

 
Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
:roll:

nothing it completely secure. give someone enough time and knowledge and they can break into any system.

for my clients i tell them the same thing. security isn't defined by how hard it is for someone to get in but by whethor or not you've "covered your @ss". fact is, no one in their right mind is going to expect a doctors office that might be pulling in $600,000 / yr gross to spend $3000.00 on firewalls and maintenance /year. most of my clients usually stay at around the Sonic Wall level. is it secure? reasonably so, is it perfect? no, but then neither is the top of the line cisco router. it's just harder to break in.

another analogy is your car. is it secure if you just lock the door? what if you lock it and set the alarm? what if you lock it, set the alarm and club it? what if you lock it, set the alarm, club it and garage it? . . .

at what point is that car secure? well it really depends on what the car is and how badly someone wants it. if they want it bad enough it is virtually impossible to stop them from stealing it.
Click to expand...
Quite true. In fact that file labelled Feb17.JPG in your c:\personal\photos is rather...shocking.

 
Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
:roll:

nothing it completely secure. give someone enough time and knowledge and they can break into any system.

for my clients i tell them the same thing. security isn't defined by how hard it is for someone to get in but by whethor or not you've "covered your @ss". fact is, no one in their right mind is going to expect a doctors office that might be pulling in $600,000 / yr gross to spend $3000.00 on firewalls and maintenance /year. most of my clients usually stay at around the Sonic Wall level. is it secure? reasonably so, is it perfect? no, but then neither is the top of the line cisco router. it's just harder to break in.

another analogy is your car. is it secure if you just lock the door? what if you lock it and set the alarm? what if you lock it, set the alarm and club it? what if you lock it, set the alarm, club it and garage it? . . .

at what point is that car secure? well it really depends on what the car is and how badly someone wants it. if they want it bad enough it is virtually impossible to stop them from stealing it.
Click to expand...

I'd say that is a bad analogy and the doctor's office should be closed - there are regulations (HIPPA) they have to follow no matter what the cost.

On wireless - is it secure? No. Can you make wireless secure? Yes.

The big push nowaday's is to make wired networks locked tight as well - no authentication? no talkie to anything. No virus? No talkie. No patch? No talkie.
 
Originally posted by: Neurorelay
After a year of going wireless in the house, finally got around to securing the darn thing. Enabled some wep, disabled ssid broadcast, only allowing access via mac address....hardware firewall on mobo, software firewall and antivirus. Am I secure, or is it just an illusion?
Click to expand...

You've done all the right things and only the really determined can gain access.
 
Note that WEP is the inferior of the two available encryption protocols. WPA is better, but people gravitate towards WEP because it's "Wired equivalent"
 
i work at a law firm, all we've done is make change SSID from default, set it to no broadcast, and set up MAC address authentication

we tried WPA with PEAP but with the plethora of old and new cards mixed in with people's laptops / PDA's it was so secure it was keeping out the people we were trying to get access to

if someone comes in from outside the office and needs access, I just plug this into an ethernet cable in the conference room they are working in then unplug it when they are done. That little thing is awesome.
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
:roll:

nothing it completely secure. give someone enough time and knowledge and they can break into any system.

for my clients i tell them the same thing. security isn't defined by how hard it is for someone to get in but by whethor or not you've "covered your @ss". fact is, no one in their right mind is going to expect a doctors office that might be pulling in $600,000 / yr gross to spend $3000.00 on firewalls and maintenance /year. most of my clients usually stay at around the Sonic Wall level. is it secure? reasonably so, is it perfect? no, but then neither is the top of the line cisco router. it's just harder to break in.

another analogy is your car. is it secure if you just lock the door? what if you lock it and set the alarm? what if you lock it, set the alarm and club it? what if you lock it, set the alarm, club it and garage it? . . .

at what point is that car secure? well it really depends on what the car is and how badly someone wants it. if they want it bad enough it is virtually impossible to stop them from stealing it.
Click to expand...

I'd say that is a bad analogy and the doctor's office should be closed - there are regulations (HIPPA) they have to follow no matter what the cost.

On wireless - is it secure? No. Can you make wireless secure? Yes.

The big push nowaday's is to make wired networks locked tight as well - no authentication? no talkie to anything. No virus? No talkie. No patch? No talkie.
Click to expand...

network access control, that is what we need to do at my workplace
 
Its where we're headed. Cisco is leading somewhat with microsoft behind.

I like the network approach becuase we all know that not all hosts are MS.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top