Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote:
Well, threads tend to evolve. The OP was given an answer to his problem,
but was also told about the limits of that answer. From there the thread
evolved into a more general discussion of wireless security.
When you are talking about wireless security, it is not just the
information on your local network that valuable. The network connection
itself is also valuable. This is especially true if the attacker wants
to do things that they do not want traced back to them. If they use your
connection to send out SPAM, you stand a good chance of having to prove
to your ISP that you did not do it. If they use it to break into another
system, you may end up explaining it to the police, or having to defent
yourself in court. If it is someone that lives close enough to use your
connection for long periods, they may use it for file sharing. This is
especially true if you have not changed your routers password, or have
UPnP enabled on the router.
I can't help but thinking that if these problems were so prevalent that
Starbucks would have discontinued offering wireless a long time ago. Or,
that no city would ever think of establishing a wireless network.
How much security is right for you depends on your needs. But knowing
the different options, and how well they protect you is worth knowing. A
person that lives in the country, and has a router that only covers
their property probably does not need as much security as someone that
lives in an apartment building. In the first case, anyone that can tap
into your network is going to be conspicuous. In an apartment building,
it is a different story. There are a lot of levels of risk between these
cases, but this gives you an idea.
Mikkel
--
Civilization is fun! Anyway, it keeps me busy!!
