| In November 2003, Toronto police arrested
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| | shipped wide open. That is they have no
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| a man in an upscale residential
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| | preconfigured security. You, the
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| neighborhood. They noticed his car
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| | homeowner, will have to configure the
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| driving slowly the wrong way down a
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| | security setting yourself.
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| one-way street. Upon stopping the car,
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| | Your wireless router and network
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| the police discovered the driver naked
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| | interface card (NIC) are the parts that
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| from the waist down. What was he doing?
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| | actually talk to each other. Each of them
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| He was using his laptop to download and
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| | has a MAC address. This is a unique
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| watch "kiddie" porn from the Internet!
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| | number assigned to every NIC made,
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| How? He was connecting to the internet
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| | worldwide.
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| using unprotected wireless systems in the
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| | Using this MAC address, you set the
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| houses near the road!
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| | router security to talk only to certain
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| Here is the problem, if someone were to
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| | other MAC addresses. Therefore, if you
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| access the Internet and download illegal
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| | have two laptops in your network, you add
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| material, then disconnect and drive off;
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| | both MAC addresses to your router
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| it would look like the homeowner did the
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| | security setup and any other MAC
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| downloading. How hard would it be to
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| | addresses are blocked.
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| convince the FBI that you were a victim?
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| | This security setup works well for
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| This is not the only time this has
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| | keeping the average wireless user out of
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| happened. In a recent interview, attorney
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| | your system, but a competent hacker can
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| Joseph Burton, of Duane Morris Law Firm,
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| | bypass it. A technique called spoofing
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| said, "Is it possible a home owner can be
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| | allows the hacker's computer to pretend
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| liable for a lack of security on a
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| | to be one of your laptops and trick the
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| wireless network? Yes, if they are
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| | system into letting him in.
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| negligent in setting up security."
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| | To prevent this you would need to add
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| (Richard Shim, CNET News.com).
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| | additional layers of security. Keep in
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| According to research by the World Wide
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| | mind though, every additional layer of
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| War Drive over 228,537 wireless access
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| | security adds to the burden of your
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| points were detected. Over 62% were
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| | network. It slows things down. Litigation
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| totally open and unprotected! In San
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| | seems to be a national past time these
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| Antonio Texas, the percentage of
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| | days. Protect yourself and your family by
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| unprotected networks is slightly higher.
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| | taking some of the precautions listed
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| Some wireless access points can extend
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| | above. If you feel you need the extra
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| their coverage over 300 feet from the
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| | protection offered by WEP or another
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| unit. Sure, the farther away, the slower
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| | encryption scheme contact your locate
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| the connection, but even one mbps is
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| | computer technician and have him
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| faster than a dialup connection. Add that
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| | configure it for you.
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| to being untraceable and you have a
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| | This is an especially important decision
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| pervert's heaven!
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| | for those who run their own business and
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| Having a wireless network connection is a
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| | use wireless products. How angry would
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| great thing; the freedom it gives you is
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| | your customer's be if someone stole their
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| priceless. With a few precautions, you
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| | information off your network and used it
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| can secure your wireless connection and
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| | to open accounts in their name?
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| surf the World Wide Web from the comfort
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| | Identity Theft is only one possible
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| of your easy chair, bed or backyard.
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| | outcome, if your network contains patient
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| Conducting a casual site survey around
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| | data you could be in violation of the
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| your home will tell you a lot about your
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| | Health Insurance Portability and
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| vulnerability. Do you live right up on
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| | Accountability Act (HIPAA). Then you
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| the road? How far from your home, are
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| | would be dealing with the federal
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| your neighbors? How far does your signal
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| | government!
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| carry from the wireless unit?
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| | Take the time to protect yourself and
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| After answering these questions, you can
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| | your family. Security does take a little
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| proceed to securing the wireless network
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| | time, but it could save you many problems
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| itself.
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| | down the road.
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| Unfortunately, consumer routers are
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|
