Are You A Block Watch Member ???
Neighborhood Block Watch has been around for years here in Canada, and most police departments endorse this public/police partnership to look after one another in the battle against crime.
Given that some in the criminal element are now turning to technology to digitally break into our homes to steal information, I think it is now time for the Block Watch Program to evolve and promote ways to inform, identify, and protect/secure block watch homes from the criminal element who (as you will read below) are “war-driving” our neighborhood streets looking for easy targets to hit.
Given the popularity of the Internet, and the fact that many households have more than one computer in the home, rather than connecting all the computers to the Internet via hardwire, manufactures have created wireless network capabilities that offer both ease and convenience via wireless routers (Wi-Fi); two of the more commonly known manufactures of these routers are D-Link and Linksys.With the convenience of Wi-Fi however, comes vulnerability and security risks due to the fact that most home Wi-Fi networks have not been properly secured.One research study estimates that approximately 40-60 percent of all home Wi-Fi systems are unsecured.
Given the fact that Wi-Fi technology uses something very similar to a radio transmission, the signal, if not secured, can be intercepted up to 300 feet away from the home’s Wi-Fi router.The criminal element is now traveling neighborhoods (war-driving) with lap top computers that are Wi-Fi enabled, and armed with “sniffer” programs.These sniffer programs are looking to gain access into unsecure Wi-Fi networks that enable the criminal to have access to your files and Internet account to commit crimes such as downloading child pornography or purchasing goods via stolen credit cards, monitor your e-mail transmissions, monitor your IM chat, and even drop a Trojan “Key Stroke Logger” into your computer, allowing them to record every key stroke you make, which could include passwords, credit card numbers, and account information.
If your unsecured network is now used to commit a crime, and police are involved, guess whose door they are going to be knocking on looking for answers. Yours, because you left your Wi-Fi network unsecured that a criminal took advantage of !!!!!!!!!
So How Do I Secure My Wi-Fi Network?
Most Wi-Fi network routers come with their own software “wizard” that allows you to easily secure a home network during the installation process.Some Wi-Fi routers also allow you to access their routers via a specific WWW address that you can type into your Internet browser, to also gain access to its software security menu.As an example, for those who have a D-Link router, by typing 192.168.0.1 into the WWW address box, your internet browser window will usually now open up to the D-Link software wizard.
No matter what kind of wireless router used, there is a four-step process that all Wi-Fi users should be using to ensure that they have secured their system from unwanted access:
Step #1:
Change the router’s default “username” and “password settings:
By default, most manufactures will set the router’s username as “admin” or “administration”, and it is password as “password” right out of the box.If you do not change these settings, even the most inexperienced hacker knows to try admin, administration, and password as their first attempt to gain access into your system.
To change these default setting, you will usually have to go into the “tools” settings of your router’s software wizard.
Step #2:
Turn on the router’s compatible “encryption key” function
This encryption key, once activated, makes it virtually impossible for someone to gain access into your Wi-Fi network unless they know and enter the specific encryption key code that you create yourself.There are two common types of encryptions being used for home networks:
WEP:
This is an older type of encryption that is used for older wireless “B” networks which can be easily hacked, and
WPA2:
This is the type of encryption that is being used for newer “G” and “N” Wi-Fi home network routers.
The ability to enable the encryption key is usually found in the “wireless settings” of your Wi-Fi router software, under the main menu.
Step #3:
Enable the SSID function of the Wi-Fi router
SSID (Service Set Identifier) broadcasts the name of your network, and often by default is the name of router’s manufacturer such as D-Link, Linksys, or even Default.People, who are looking to hack into an open Wi-Fi network, often look for those who have not enabled the SSID function; which means that they have not likely changed other well-known default settings such as the router’s password and username.
The ability to enable the SSID function is usually found in the “wireless settings” of your Wi-Fi router software, under the main menu.
Step #4:
Turn on the “MAC” address filtering function.
Most manufactures will have the MAC address filtering turned off by default, which requires you to turn it on. Without MAC address filtering, any wireless client can join a Wi-Fi network if they know the network name and perhaps a few other security parameters like encryption keys. When MAC address filtering is enabled, however, the access point or router performs an additional check on a different parameter. Obviously, the more checks that are made to those who are requesting access, the greater the likelihood of preventing network break-ins. Once enabled, whenever the wireless access point or router receives a request to join with the Wi-Fi network via another computer or device, it compares the MAC address of that client against the administrator's list. Clients on the list (which you add) authenticate as normal; clients not on the list are denied any access to the Wi-Fi network.
The ability to enable the MAC address filtering function is usually found in the “wireless settings” of your Wi-Fi router software, under the main menu.
Remember that no Wi-Fi network is 100% secure, but following the above four recommendations will provide you with an extremely secure network that will keep most unwanted guests out.
It’s easy to figure out who has an open and unsecured Wi-Fi network, a block captain just needs to use a laptop that has Wi-Fi capabilities to see if they can connect to a neighbor’s Wi-Fi network without having to use a password or key code. I believe that with heightening awareness to the vulnerabilities of an open or insecure wireless access point (both Internet and Wi-Fi cameras), we create a more secure community and foster the essence of the Block Watch program, which is neighbors taking care of neighbors to prevent crime.
Now is the time for Block Watch programs to evolve and become more in-tune with how the cyber criminal is digitally breaking into our homes. By sharing this information, identifying those neighbors who are at risk, and then fixing those risks by following the above noted information, we are creating safer and more secure communities.
Please share this posting with your Block Watch neighbors because information to be useful must be shared..........
Darren
The Urban Sheepdog
