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“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”
- Sun Tzu

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How To Not Get Hacked

Pitfalls of Wireless Networking

Without knowing the details of your wireless network, you may be leaving the door open to your system and all of your files. Even the dilettante hacker can bypass many of the flimsy security protocols of many wireless routers today. Now more than ever, it's important to know how not to get hacked. There are layers of security you can place on your wireless network, as well as the effectiveness of each layer. We are going to draw a parallel between your wireless network and your home:

Types of Security

Leaving the door to your house open as a veritable invitation to theives:

• Broadcasting a default SSID
• No MAC filtering
• No encryption
• DHCP switched on/No access controls

Shutting your front door, but leaving it unlocked:

• Changing the SSID (the name) of your network and disabling SSID broadcast. An experienced hacker will discover this, so it only protects you from the fly-by-night who’s in a hurry.
• Disabling DHCP/Access Control. A hacker with mininal knowledge will have the tools that will sniff out available IP addresses on your network.
• MAC address filtering. With a little work, your MAC address can be cloned--and the one responsible will see everything you see on your network.

Locking the door with a Schlage you bought from Home Depot:

• WEP: Wireless Encryption Protocol is standard with many wireless routers and can be hacked in seconds using free tools that are widely available.

Bolting the door, buying a rottweiler and installing an alarm system:

• WPA: A randomized pre-shared key of at least 10 characters would take half-a-million years to crack. More info about this below.

First, it's good to note that a random key means that it shouldn’t be a word that exists in any dictionary. Hackers have extensive dictionaries that include all common passwords, English words, nicknames, and misspellings of words. This is called a “dictionary attack.”
(A random key is a meaningless mix of lower- and uppercase letters and numbers, and sometimes special characters like punctuation, depending on whether your router supports it).

If you’re not sure how to get a random key, you can find it easily on the web. There is software that will generate a key for you (type “software generate wpa key” into your favorite search engine).
It’s best to build up each type of security in layers, checking that all devices can connect and communicate at each step before adding another layer.
Make sure you read your router’s manual to ensure you’re storing the settings correctly (some routers require you to save the settings each time you make a change or the changes will be lost).

As times change, so do the threats. Stay secure!