# Wireless network been compromised? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 14, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729 "2005-01-14T16:22:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/1 "2005-01-14T16:22:31Z")
How was it protected and how was it broken into? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/2 "2005-01-14T18:31:02Z")
If it was broken into, I’d say it wasn’t protected well. But first - WHICH wireless network are you referring to? Yours at home? The local grocery store’s? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/3 "2005-01-14T19:36:48Z")
I’d agree. I’m curious if anyone has any kind of wireless network broken into. If we add more access points I want to require MAC addresses as well as WEP. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/4 "2005-01-14T20:13:56Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > How was it protected and how was it broken into? Was the OP meant as a reply to another thread? I don’t understand where you’re coming from. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/5 "2005-01-14T20:20:03Z")
I don’t understand either. Maybe the OP meant: “Has anyone ever had their wireless network compromised, and how was it compromised?” Apologies if this wasn’t the intended question. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/6 "2005-01-14T20:23:06Z")
Is the OP perhaps asking about [this story](http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/01/12/cellular.hacker.ap/index.html) where a hacker broke into T-Mobile’s email system and read Secret Service correspondence? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/7 "2005-01-14T21:24:24Z")
Yes, Parental, I intended to ask “Has anyone ever had their wireless network compromised, and how was it compromised?” Sorry I was unclear. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/8 "2005-01-15T00:41:51Z")
Quickie answer to that then, is “just about anyone who’s too lazy to even use WEP, and change the default SSID.” And that’s a \*\*lot \*\* of people. At my new apartment, I fired up a scan tool and found eight Wi-Fi nets running within reach of my living room. Four of them were named either linksys or dlink. Two of them didn’t even have WEP. I could have very easily hopped onto either of those to either browse their computers or just steal bandwidth off their DSL. I didn’t do anything nefarious as I was truly only looking to see what the best channel choice was going to be for my net in that area, based on how many other nets were out there. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/9 "2005-01-15T01:15:18Z")
My roommate, admin for our 3 man network, refuses to enable encryption for no reason whatsoever. When we first got the wireless router, I asked and he smuggly said he was filtering MAC adressing instead and our bandwidth was safe. When I asked about sending our private data and internet habits all over the neighborhood, he said most private websites used secure forms anyway. Most?! Then I researched and mentioned MAC spoofing which he said was ‘unlikely to happen’. Gah! Its dumb on two levels. First and worse, its unsecure. Second, when friends come over, its a two step process to get them on the network: them looking up their MAC addy and roommie adding to the list of approved MACs. With WEP, we’d just have action on the visiting computer’s end, and that’s just adding the encyption key. This guy is a computer engineering major and should really know better. At least he changed the router access password. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/10 "2005-01-15T01:25:13Z")
I’m certainly no expert, but I recently helped a friend set up her network for a new business office she’s opened. I was truly surprised at the number of neighboring businesses’ wireless networks I could access. One of my friends has recently discovered that his teenage daughter has been surfing on the neighbor’s wireless. I guess a lot of folks just struggle through the minimum effort to get connected and don’t sweat the details (my (1st mentioned) friend’s business network is as secure as I could make it). ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/11 "2005-01-15T01:51:24Z")
I should also point out that I have no objections to surfing the web using an unsecured router. If they don’t secure it, I take that as consent to use it. Anyone who knows enough to want a wifi net knows the deal. **Ringo’s** friend’s daughter was a-ok in my book. When I move from this apartment, I intend to set up a free access point and will name it in such a way that indicates it as such…like useme or freeweb or something. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/12 "2005-01-15T03:08:49Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I intend to set up a free access point And when someone downloads child pornography and your provider gives the cops your name, you are going to…? How safe are access points requiring MAC addresses? We have APs using WEP in offices. When we began putting them in other buildings, I’m going to have to tighten things up and require MACs. How much harder are they to crack? We are a residential campus, and I’m worried about a student getting a laptop into a dorm room and having all night work on it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/13 "2005-01-15T03:22:05Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > When I move from this apartment, I intend to set up a free access point and will name it in such a way that indicates it as such…like useme or freeweb or something. I think “][” for a ssid is the usual marker for a voluntary free access point. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/14 "2005-01-15T04:06:23Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > And when someone downloads child pornography and your provider gives the cops your name, you are going to…? …do the same thing as any Starbucks, McDonalds, Panera, school, college, business, airport and any of the thousands of open access points do when g-men come investigating. Show them the wireless access point and show them the open configuration. Its not just child porn, either. Hacking, stolen credit card purchases and illegal downloading are potential problems too. You take the bad with the good. **Anony** , I didn’t know that. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-network-been-compromised/284729/15 "2005-01-15T04:36:11Z")
The Feds confiscated servers and user PCs from a school where some students were downloading mp3s. Good luck. Anyone interested in the OP? 🙂