[pchelpers] unprotected wireless networks

Hi PcCowboy and anyone else with a wireless network

> I do not know if I should trust this drive. All hardware test claims 
> that there is nothing wrong
> with the drive. I'm thinking that someone may have wiped the drive from 
> our wireless access point.
> I can't remember checking to see if someone could get into this computer 
> by way of the wireless.
> We have an open wireless network for our internet cafe. All our other 
> business computers
> need a logon to access the shared folders, but I do not know about this one.
> 
> We fired one person last week who was mad at us. I guess she could have 
> pulled up outside
> with a laptop and got to the computer. If a program was used to wipe the 
> drive then it was
> a DOD one from as clean as this drive is.

If you're running an unprotected wireless network, i would keep really 
quiet about it because it would make your computer store look very 
unprofessional. If you have to report the missing invoice data to the 
IRS or anyone else, i would even say that it was due to employee 
negligence, not deliberate damage. The chances of the local IRS 
investigators getting too interested are very slim, but you don't want 
to risk running into an overzealous inspector. Because they (and 
companies like Ibas) can prove that wireless intrusion took place, 
especially if they get hold of the former employee's laptop. And then 
your store would get an unprofessional image.

Between 50 and 80% of all wireless networks are unprotected, and i hope 
that Pen, Re-Na, and others who have mentioned having one are not in the 
wrong half. I'm sure you, PcCowboy, know how to protect your wireless 
network, but here's some info for others who need help doing this 
(immediately!):

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,322754,00.html
http://news.com.com/2100-1033-956911.html

http://enterprisesecurity.symantec.com/content.cfm?articleid=5905&EID=0
Holman says society can apply those current laws, educate consumers, and 
go after WLAN vendors that continue to ship products with security 
settings switched off. "They've consistently chosen not to do this," he 
says. "We should make them turn this on or at least have a better 
[security] setup feature."

http://enterprisesecurity.symantec.com/content.cfm?articleid=5893&EID=0
Specifically, on a Windows PC, a intruder on your wireless LAN could get 
into any folder that is set with file sharing enabled, Hunter said. 
Whatever is in the file could be modified, copied or posted on the 
Internet. So whatever you do, file sharing should be disabled, or 
restricted to certain trusted people on every folder, he said. That 
would at least prevent "a very casual hacker" from snooping in your 
files, Hunter said. File sharing is enabled by default in Windows XP 
Home Edition, according to Microsoft.

http://www.ebcvg.com/articles.php?id=259
Unfortunately, in the enthusiasm with which people have adopted 
wireless, the question of security has been seriously overlooked. There 
is a standard for security over wireless which is WEP 802.11b (Wireless 
Equivalent Privacy). However, this standard is both flawed and weak, 
being ineffective and easily broken.

It is also rarely implemented. This is because it is easier to set up 
wireless with the security not enabled. Once the wireless system is 
working, the security tends to remain switched off. This has been 
confirmed by recent surveys in London which showed that 67 percent of 
sites surveyed using wireless did not have security enabled. The same 
problem potentially exists with the new security standard WPA (Wi-Fi 
Protected Access).The default set-up configuration is again with the 
security not operating.




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