Base home wireless networks remain vulnerable to attack Published April 20, 2006 By 2nd Lt. Lindsey Hahn 60th AMW Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- During this month’s Operational Security Assessment, a team of intelligence, communications and OPSEC members assessed the base for weaknesses in OPSEC and Communications Security programs. While the Travis Team received accolades for their network security measures, the team had some concerns about base residents’ use of wireless networks. During the assessment, the team found more than 500 unsecured wireless networks in base housing, which could potentially open residents up to be victims of crimes such as identity theft. “Depending on how smart the hacker is, they can potentially see the contents of your hard drive if your wireless network is not secured,” said 1st Lt. Brian Carpenter, 60th Communications Squadron communications focal point officer in charge. “A hacker could also install programs which can save your password and login information for Web sites, install viruses and surf the web while making it look like it is from your home connection.” A hacker could also access the router itself and change settings on it from outside your home, said Lieutenant Carpenter. It is important for all wireless users to secure their networks in order to protect the personal information stored on hard drives and Web sites. Wireless networks are becoming more common as households begin owning multiple computers and laptops become more popular. While a router and a broadband internet connection are the only items required to set up a wireless network, some users do not secure it and open themselves up to hackers outside the network to pirate their signal or worse. “In order to protect your network, users should immediately change the default password for the router and the name of their network,” said Tech. Sgt. Ray Negron, 60th CS help desk noncommissioned officer in charge. “Every router manufactured by a company is sold with the same default password and network name and is easily accessible on the Internet.” In addition to changing the passwords and network name, also known as the Service Set Identifier, users are encouraged to take at least one of the following security measures: 1.Disable the SSID broadcast to mask hackers from seeing the available network unless the user knows the actual name of the network. 2.Use the encryption option [Wired Equivalent Privacy and WiFi Protected Access] when setting up the network. This option passes a secret encryption key between the computers and the router. 3.Use the MAC address filtering option where only specific hardware the user designates can have access to the network. Directions on how to set up these security measures are in the user manuals for the router. While one should significantly increase the security of a network, more can deter more advanced hackers. “Basic wireless security is like an alarm on your car,” said Lieutenant Carpenter. “It will stop all but the most dedicated hackers from accessing your system because there are so many more easily accessible networks available.” The Travis Team is encouraged to protect their personal networks just as they would their work information. For more information on setting up a wireless network go to http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wirelesssecurity.