The Reverend Posted January 17, 2005 CID Share Posted January 17, 2005 Do you have a wireless network installed in your home? Chances are that you do. If so, did you know that hackers might be using your Internet connection without your knowledge or consent? It's called "Drive-By Clicking" {War Driving} and it is becoming more and more popular all the time. Here is how it works: A hacker drives through a residential neighborhood with a laptop computer equipped with a wireless network adapter. If a wireless router isn't configured for secure communications the hacker's laptop can detect the signal, stop his car, and access the Internet using the unsuspecting homeowner's Internet connection. He can send spam emails (potentially getting the homeowner in trouble) and even access sensitive information on the host's computer. Scary stuff, huh? If you have a wireless router you can protect yourself with these tips: Place your wireless router in a location that is as far away from the street or the closest neighbor's house as possible. Change your router's password from the factory default (which most "competent" hackers are familiar with) to a new one. If you have file sharing enabled on your PC be sure to activate password protection. Enable encryption (WEP) in your router's configuration settings. <---this WILL slow down your connection! Be alert for clues that someone else is using your Internet Connection or home network. These include excessive Internet traffic through your cable or DSL modem (the data lights will flash more than usual) and a sluggish PC with lots of unusual hard drive activity. Taking the time to secure your wireless network from cyber-intruders could save you lots of headaches and losses (monetary and otherwise) in the future. About The Author Rick Rouse is the owner of RLROUSE Directory & Informational Resources (http://www.rlrouse.com). Submit your URL to RLROUSE Directory and all of our partner sites for only $XXXX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resopalrabotnick Posted January 17, 2005 CID Share Posted January 17, 2005 there is also a new standard for encryption started by m$. wpa. supposed to be even more secure than wep, but slows you down even more. some routers can also filter mac addresses, these are unique to one network adapter, yes they can be spoofed, but then nothing is foolproof. filtering mac addresses means that you can either disallow certain addresses, not very useful, or allow only certain addresses. this means that you enter the addresses of all the devices you want using your wireless net into a list, and any device not on this list will be flat out denied access. this means that the neighbors kids etc won't be able to dick with your system. also, make sure you are not sharing more folders than necessary. while it is convenint to have the laptop and the desktop both sharing their c: with full rights, it opens all doors to an intruder, be it over wireless or from the internet. choose carefully what you share, enable write access, which also means right to delete, only if necessary, and password protect the shared folder. also, add a $ at the end of the share name, for example movies$. this will not show the folder in the normal my network places or network neighborhood views, you need to map this to a drive manually entering the name. to show that this is not rare, my neighbor has a completley unsecured wireless net. one fine day when i feel nasty i might just see if he has any pics of himself and the missus worth posting here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resopalrabotnick Posted January 17, 2005 CID Share Posted January 17, 2005 your allnighter is showing, lol. you've got me thinking 'what did i say?' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resopalrabotnick Posted January 18, 2005 CID Share Posted January 18, 2005 if i didnt know you were a mod you would now have me scratching my head, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Posted January 18, 2005 Author CID Share Posted January 18, 2005 Say what resopalrabotnick? You been into the Phenergan or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resopalrabotnick Posted January 18, 2005 CID Share Posted January 18, 2005 must...not...smite...rev i am talking about the mysterious disappearing posts by user The Reverend. either the server change is causing hickups here (raaaiiiggght) or you are purposely and willfully obfuscating your statements by shredding the evidence! was it ollie north that said ihave no recollection of that event? i forget... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Posted January 18, 2005 Author CID Share Posted January 18, 2005 The evidence is forever stored in the archives my friend. Thanks for the good tease! lol.... Yeah...Oliver North the poor scapegoat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resopalrabotnick Posted January 18, 2005 CID Share Posted January 18, 2005 i find it despicable to see the mentally superior stoop so low to pick on their mentally challenged cousers of this forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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