| Part of securing your network must
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| | disposal. I then fired up Kismet. Kismet
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| include looking at your wireless access
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| | is a great wireless scanning program. I
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| points. Wireless access can be dangerous
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| | found my wireless network in the list. I
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| to your network. Most people don't even
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| | found the connected client and the access
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| know how easy it is to exploit wireless
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| | point, or router. Then I proceeded to do
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| access points. Let me illustrate my
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| | a typical type of attack on the network.
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| point. I went out one afternoon and took
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| | Hackers need to grab what's called a
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| my trusty laptop with me. The task this
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| | "packet" from a computer that already has
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| afternoon was to scan for "open" wireless
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| | the key for the secured wireless network.
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| access points. An "open" wireless access
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| | The hacker can then use this packet to
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| point is one that has absolutely no
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| | issue responses from the router. Why is
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| encryption, or security, on the signal.
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| | this important? This allows the hacker to
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| This allows anyone to listen in on your
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| | gather a tremendous amount of data from
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| data stream. If you still don't get it,
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| | the access point. And this finally allows
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| it's a very bad thing! So, I drove for
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| | the hacker to crack the WEP security key.
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| about 2 miles through a small business
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| | So, I went about hacking my own WEP
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| district and apartment complex. What was
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| | wireless router. I "deauthenticated" my
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| the result? Oh, about 45 open wireless
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| | computer that was already connected to
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| networks. That means that I could log
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| | the router. This gave me the packet I
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| onto those networks, scan it, and exploit
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| | needed for the router. Then I started
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| machines connected to that network. I
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| | sending this packet to the router a lot.
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| didn't do that, but you get my drift. The
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| | Once I had enough data from the router, I
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| lesson here is to encrypt your wireless
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| | then passed it to a cracking program.
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| data stream.
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| | Viola, it cracked the key in about 1
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| Some people think that choosing WEP
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| | second. After the dust had settled, I had
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| encryption offers great wireless
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| | cracked my WEP security in less than 30
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| security. They would be wrong. Your
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| | minutes! But would the typical user see
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| wireless router may have an option for
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| | that I was hacking? Probably not. The
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| WPA and WEP. You should always choose WPA
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| | only thing they would see is that they
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| security over WEP. Let me illustrate why.
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| | lost their wireless connection for a
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| I set up a wireless network in my home. I
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| | moment. This is when I "deauthenticated"
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| enabled WEP security at 128 bit
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| | them from the network to grab the
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| encryption. That's "strong" security for
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| | "packet" I needed.
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| WEP. I wrote down the security key and
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| | Remember, I had my WEP encryption set to
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| then I started my test. My goal was to
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| | 128 bits. This is a high level of
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| hack my own WEP wireless network. I
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| | encryption. But it really doesn't matter.
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| thought it was going to be a really hard
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| | All a hacker needs is a signal a little
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| task. I was wrong.
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| | time to crack that. Remember, hackers are
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| I fired up my linux laptop. Linux is just
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| | like house thieves. They will go along
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| an alternative operating system to
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| | the path of least resistance. The harder
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| Windows. This particular Linux
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| | your wireless signal is to crack, the
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| distribution, or flavor of Linux, was a
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| | less likely you will be hacked. They will
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| security edition. This gave me all kinds
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| | simply move along to the next "open"
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| of tools to scan for wireless networks
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| | network or one with bad encryption. Do
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| and exploit them. A typical hacker will
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| | yourself a favor, and always choose WPA
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| have all of these free tools at their
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| | wireless security over WEP.
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