subject: Google caught stealing personal information from wireless networks [print this page] Google caught stealing personal information from wireless networks
Google were recentely caught stealing personal information from unsecured wi-fi (wireless) networks via their google streetview car. At the time of writing this article they are still under investigation although they have said that none of the information gathered has been used in any Google programs. Wow. I don't about you but I'm pretty shocked by the absolute cheek of this not to mention the implications. Ok guys, so as a very experienced IT tech of many years here's my advice. Beef up your wireless security. If you don't know how to do this then I can explain the basics here but with the growing need for Internet use on a daily basis do you really want your bank details being stolen by a hacker because you didn't know how to stop it? No, I didn't think so. In fact I can tell you wireless security IS NOT AS DIFFICULT AS YOU THINK. Like anything once you know what you are doing, it's easy. Read on my friends...
Here are the basics you should know:
Households can see each others wireless points. FACT. Can you see your neighbours? Well, this is the first thing you should put a stop to.
SSID: The name of your wireless router is called the SSID and guess what, you can turn it off. That's right. You can stop people seeing you. Login to your router and disable it.
Security Key: The most common forms are WEP, WPA and WPA2. These basically encrypt your access to the network and if you don't have these details then you cannot get in. You CAN hack this and WEP is the easiest but you really should have at least WEP turned on.
MAC Filter: Did you know that every single network device in the world has a unique code called a Mac address? This is a long number. You can find out your MAC address by typing IPCONFIG /ALL from a DOS Prompt (start - run - "cmd" or windows button - run then type cmd are the most common ways to do this). You can tell your router to only allow YOUR Mac address to use it. Simple.
Transmission Strength: People think it's great to see five full strong bars on their wireless signal. In fact this isn't necessary. You only need enough to give you coverage that you need. It's the speed that you should be concerned with. Login to your router and reduce it (not all models support this).
Ok so there you go. That's the basics covered. You are probably thinking - "the basics? you are joking!! It sounded like a foreign language" I can appreciate this, I really can. I have studied and worked in IT for over 15 years and it can quite baffling at times. At this point you basically have two choices: 1) Do nothing and hope that nobody steals your bank details; or 2) You can wise up and start to learn all about wireless security. How much do rely upon your wireless connection right now? Think what it will be like in 5 years time!! My advice is train yourself to secure yourself and your family personal information. I usually buy a good book and learn from that and for starters there are loads you can find on Amazon which you can see here (or UK visitors can go here). In the words of Neo in 'the Matrix' where we go from here is up to you. I never came here to tell you how it will end, I only came here to tell you how it began. The future of your internet security is up to you.
