Keep it Covered: Wi-Fi Security
June 30, 2008Checking office notebooks for any potential software or virus issues is part of my job as an IT engineer. As I was checking the laptop of a close colleague named Marcus (which, for the purpose of anonimity we shall call Dillbert), a unique icon labeled Data 3.5G had caught my attention. Turns out that Dillbert’s new apartment building does not yet have any internet infrastructure so he had to sign up for this service which basically lets his laptop transmit data via GPRS network. For 195 aed (roughly $55) a month, he could surf the web anywhere using a 3.5G wireless data card. The only downside is that the package he chose provides him with data download limit of up to 120mb. Which, for a man of his age, should be enough for him to be able to check his email from time to time.
His first month’s bill was for 25,000 aed ( $7142).
What the fuck, I thought. That’s ludicruously batshit crazy!
“What the fuck”, I exclaimed. “That’s ludicruously batshit crazy!”
Turns out that someone was able to leech off his connection for some reason, probably by cracking the encryption of his 3.5G card. That, or it just sucks to be him at the moment.
We hear loads of stories like this. A person opens his window pane, turns on his laptop’s wi-fi card, and basks in the chockful amount of delicious bandwidth and invisible data streming through his room from the neighbors’. It’s not that these people make a concious decision to become leechers, but unsecured wireless networks more often than not gives them a hard time not to become leechers.
After hearing Dillbert’s dilemma, I decided to post some ideas that can help ease your mind with your wi-fi’s security standpoint.
1. As unnecessary to point out as it may be, use a password. And a strong one at that. A sufficiently strong password which comprises of numbers and letters, both uppercase and lowercase, will most likely make password cracking impossible. Regularly changing your password is as good as choosing a strong one. (more…)
