Your Daily Computer Security Tips

Many wireless computer networks are protected with the WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption standard. Two researchers, Tews and Beck, have partly cracked the encryption. They can read data being sent from a router to a laptop computer. They could also use the attack to send false or any information to another computer connected to the router.

They did it by combining two tactics. First, they tricked the router into sending them a large amount of data. This makes it easier to crack the encryption key. Together with what they call a “mathematical breakthrough”, they penetrated the WPA standard in 12 – 15 minutes.

It is said that some of the code used in the exploit was put in Beck’s encryption hacking tool recently. More details regarding this attack will be released next week at a conference in Tokyo.

A newer wireless standard called WPA2 is thought to be safe from this attack. However, many WPA2 – enabled routers also support WPA. Check your router and user manual. If you no longer have the manual, go to the manufacturer’s Web site.

Make sure you have proper encryption set up on your wireless network, and that you are not just using the default security settings. These usually provide little or no protection.

Verify that you are really using WPA2. If not, you should get a new router soon. If by chance you are still using the ancient WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) standard, you have no protection at all. This standard is quite useless, and can be broken in a few minutes using commonly available tools.

Run, don’t walk, to your nearest computer store, and get yourself a new router.