I must I admit while this question is one we frequently get, I was actually inspired to\u00a0write this after the CSI Cyber episode that air last night.\u00a0\u00a0 In the show, black hat hackers have figured out ways to control and start a fire with your electronic devices.\u00a0 At one of the crime scenes one of the lead\u00a0charters ask\u00a0a 20\u00a0something old\u00a0who was a victim\u00a0of\u00a0one of the fires, “how complex\u00a0is your\u00a0WiFi password?”.\u00a0\u00a0 The\u00a020\u00a0something looks back at\u00a0her\u00a0with a deer in the headlights look and says “why\u00a0does that matter?”.\u00a0 While\u00a0the storyline\u00a0might be\u00a0a bit exaggerate\u00a0for Hollywood or entertainment purposes, they\u00a0did\u00a0make a\u00a0valid\u00a0real world\u00a0point and concern.\u00a0\u00a0Is it\u00a0important\u00a0to have\u00a0that “password”?\u00a0Is it important to have\u00a0a “complex” one?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The\u00a0answer is\u00a0absolutely YES!\u00a0\u00a0Not only that but you need to be careful\u00a0who you\u00a0give it\u00a0to\u00a0and should change it\u00a0occasionally.\u00a0\u00a0But Why?<\/p>\n
To understand why we need to make sure everyone has a basic understanding of how\u00a0or even why wireless networking “works”.\u00a0\u00a0 Even thought you do not have a server, are not sharing\u00a0files, are not sharing printers,\u00a0and not access\u00a0one device from another, when\u00a0you\u00a0have set\u00a0up\u00a0the ability to share internet service\u00a0through a\u00a0WiFi\u00a0(or even wired for that matter) network\u00a0you\u00a0do\u00a0have a\u00a0LAN (Local Area Network).\u00a0 In other word\u00a0most everyone (I\u00a0do not know who does not\u00a0but there\u00a0has to be someone)\u00a0has a LAN in their small business or home.\u00a0\u00a0 Knowing that you do have LAN, you also need to understand that on the LAN\u00a0the communication between devices is less structured or control (less protected) than that coming over the WAN (Wide Area Network) or today “the internet”.\u00a0 Your LAN’s perimeter is protected by your firewall that blocks a significant amount of garbage and attack that you will never even know about.<\/p>\n
Most\u00a0small business and homes today will have a\u00a0single device that\u00a0acts as your\u00a0Router, WiFi\u00a0AP(Access Point), and Firewall, a wireless router.\u00a0 Sometimes\u00a0this might\u00a0also\u00a0provide the “modem”\u00a0that connects to the\u00a0ISP.\u00a0 Regardless of whether you have one device or multiple for this, once someone is on your LAN they are past that first line or perimeter defense of the Firewall.\u00a0\u00a0 In the “old days” before WiFi, this was not a big of a concern.\u00a0 Then, in order to connect you had to physical connect\u00a0via a wire (physical be there).\u00a0 Today with WiFi you only have to be within signal range – not even in a place that you can see.\u00a0 Once they are on your WiFi they are on your LAN beyond that first line defense, the firewall.<\/p>\n
Truth is you probably have a less than 1% chance of falling victim to the kind of attack portrayed in the show.\u00a0 However ask yourself two question:<\/p>\n
– IF it did happen to you would it matter to you that in only happens\u00a0to less the 1% of the population?
\n– What are some more likely, real world risk to you?<\/p>\n
The more likely real world risk to you are:<\/p>\n
– The person who does not know better that\u00a0just selects any open WiFi\u00a0network (or has the\u00a0device set to automatically connect\u00a0to open\u00a0networks)
\n– The Teen next door that fancy her\/himself a black hatter who’s parents have restricted\u00a0access to\u00a0“their internet”, so the teen uses yours instead.<\/p>\n
Ok,\u00a0so what if\u00a0these people\u00a0did\u00a0connect to your\u00a0WiFi and used your internet?\u00a0\u00a0You\u00a0are\u00a0going to pay the same for your internet service anyway.\u00a0 It’s\u00a0not like they are\u00a0causing you harm, right?<\/p>\n
All\u00a0of those thing put you at\u00a0risk.\u00a0\u00a0Once a computer is\u00a0infected with\u00a0Malware\u00a0or a virus\u00a0– one of its goals\u00a0is\u00a0to spread\u00a0itself.\u00a0 Once on the\u00a0your LAN\u00a0(your WiFi) it is easier for it to spread to other devices connect to the same LAN.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You can still get infected with malware even if you have the best and most current antimalware\u00a0installed on your computers.\u00a0\u00a0 It could start sending\u00a0SPAM messages\u00a0out.\u00a0\u00a0The might cause you\u00a0a couple of problems, your companies IP address might\u00a0get\u00a0black listed –\u00a0causing problems\u00a0with you getting legit\u00a0emails delivered.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0If a\u00a0significant amount\u00a0of\u00a0SPAM is sent your ISP might\u00a0shutdown your service till you\u00a0identify the problem computer\u00a0and address the issue.\u00a0\u00a0How are\u00a0 you going to identify a computer with malware on\u00a0it\u00a0and\u00a0get it cleaned\u00a0that you do not even know was on your network? That you do not have control over?\u00a0 you can’t.<\/p>\n
And so what if someone “using my internet service” is doing something illegal like access or downloading copyrighted material or worse?\u00a0 It’s not like it was me that did it after all.\u00a0 Well, here’s the thing, the key words in all this is “my internet service”, when you signed up for the service you agreed to be responsible for what was done over it.\u00a0 The legal\u00a0authority (either the party that felt wronged by copy right infringement or law enforcement), is going to go after you for what infraction.\u00a0 It your responsibility to go after the actual party of the crime.\u00a0 Case in point, several university and colleges have had\u00a0suits files against them for pirating of music and movies.\u00a0 Now, in most cases they have the means to identify\u00a0the actually\u00a0person responsible.\u00a0 Do you?\u00a0\u00a0 Think this is only because of the large number of students do it – think again – it is usually only one or two that are doing it.<\/p>\n
What about that black hatter want to be.\u00a0\u00a0 In some sense it should be self evident, they are going to try and get into things that they should not.\u00a0 However, the thing is they often do not have the skill or knowledge to do this alone.\u00a0 So, they typically are downloading or using things that “help them hack”.\u00a0\u00a0 Most of that is riddled with malware that open up the doors for the real hackers to get in.<\/p>\n
One other key point about why you need to set a “WiFi Password”.\u00a0 The word password is really misleading.\u00a0 In reality it not a password but the password is used because it is easier for the average\u00a0user, at large to understand it meaning.\u00a0 It is\u00a0actually\u00a0an encryption\u00a0key.\u00a0\u00a0One that\u00a0encrypts\u00a0the communication the is floating through the air \u00a0between your computer and that AP(the wireless router).\u00a0 Now is it likely that you neighbor is going to have the ability to intercept that communication, probably not.\u00a0\u00a0 If it did happen to you would it matter that it only happens less that 1%?<\/p>\n
Why should you change it occasionally?\u00a0 I get it, its a pain to do.\u00a0 Once done you have to go to every device and enter the “new” code.\u00a0 The problem is\u00a0that code(password or key)\u00a0is stored in every device so you do not have to enter every time you want to connect.\u00a0\u00a0 That stored code is rather easy to get to and over time you lose track of who it has been given to.\u00a0What happens if their device gets compromises (hacked or stolen)?<\/p>\n
What about complexity, does it have to be complex?\u00a0 The yes but it actually not as bad think.\u00a0 You do not want it to be easy to guess like you phone number or street address.\u00a0 It does need to be at least 26 charters long.\u00a0 However, unlike a “password” it does not have to be some random set of letters and number.\u00a0\u00a0 you can use a phrase or sentence if you want..<\/p>\n
Our recommendation are:<\/p>\n
I must I admit while this question is one we frequently get, I was actually inspired to\u00a0write this after the CSI Cyber episode that air last night.\u00a0\u00a0 In the show, black hat hackers have figured out ways to control and start a fire with your electronic devices.\u00a0 At one of the crime scenes one of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n