WIRELESS: WEP vs WPA vs WPA2

Brute force time to break encryption:
WEP < 10 minutes
WPA - 21 character password > 4x10^-20 years
WPA2 - more ...

CompuDent uses https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm to generate unique 63 character passwords for WPA encryption. This offers secure wireless encryption while supporting older hardware that doesn't contain the WPA2 standard.

Reposted from Kim Komando tip:

The long answer starts in 1999 with WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), the oldest Wi-Fi protection standard. It failed to live up to its name. It sticks with the same key, making it relatively easy to break. Nowadays, WEP can be cracked in a matter of minutes.

The Wi-Fi Alliance developed WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) in 2003 to address WEP's weaknesses. Improvements included TKIP, which changes the encryption key for each data transmission.

The choice between TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) and AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a choice between old and new technologies, respectively. So the short answer to your question is that AES is more secure.

WPA is compatible with many older access points and network cards. In most cases, only an update is required.

However, WPA was a stopgap measure. At the time, the Wi-Fi Alliance was working on its 802.11i standard. Released in 2004, it is commonly known as WPA2.

WPA2 uses AES for encryption. It is stronger than the RC4 encryption scheme shared by WEP and WPA. But AES requires modern hardware.

WPA2 should be your first choice. That includes AES. I have general instructions for a complete WPA2 setup on my site.

If your computers' networking components (Wi-Fi cards or USB adapters) don't offer WPA2 options, switch the setup to WPA. On your access point, that means TKIP. If the adapters on your computers allow only WEP, look for updates online.

Both WPA and WPA2 offer good security. WPA is theoretically breakable, but can be secure on a practical level. With a strong password of 21 characters or more, a WPA network can withstand an attack for years. Unfortunately, most people don't use strong passwords.

In either WPA or WPA2, your password is the weakest link. Make it as strong as you reasonably can. You can find complete steps for making strong passwords on my site.

SANDBOXIE

Here's a small tool I came across while listening to Steve Gibson's Security Now broadcast; sandboxie. It creates a virtual hardrive (or sandbox) where everything you download while browsing is saved. It protects your computer from junk being downloaded without your knowledge.

U3 & ME

I recently purchased a 2G U3 or Smart Drive to test it out. Silly me thinking I could load my Outlook, Word and Excel for free. However, just because my expectations were outrageous, does not mean it isn't a cool thing for some of you.

A Smart Drive or U3 drive is a USB flash drive that has it's own small Operating System. You plug it into a Windows box and viola'; instant applications, etc. The advantage is I can carry not only the files but the applications around in my pocket instead of my desktop or notebook.

There are enough free applications to make this attractive: FireFox for surfing the Internet, Thunderbird for email and some other assorted apps.

So here's where this might get pretty cool. Email & web browsing; OK. I want to do a PowerPoint presentation, I usually need to know the box I'm showing it on has the same version, fonts, etc. If I could have the PP Viewer loaded on the U3 drive along with my presentation, I could be assured any box would work.

Well it ain't there yet but you can figure it will get there soon.

EXCHANGE ANYONE?

DELL has a nothing box for under $700. Nothing until you realize you can get a 5-person Exchange server going for $700! Since this includes the OS, it's a deal. DELL SBS 2003 for < $700

PACIFIC GROVE TRIATHLON

Tomorrow and Sunday is the Pacific Grove Triathlon. It is probably the best spectator's triathlon on the central coast. The Olympic distance starts at 7:15 on Saturday for the amateurs and 11:45 for the Pros. The Sprint distance starts at 7:15 on Sunday. Come out and watch what is one of the fastest growing sports. My wave starts at 8:15.

http://www.tricalifornia.com/

DUMPING AOL

If you're an AOL subscriber, you have a masochistic streak. But there is now a painless path to self-improvement.

AOL is allowing anyone to use its software and services for free, and has slashed the price on dialup accounts to $9.95/month. Here's the AOL page with info about the new pricing.

Current subscribers may have to ask for a reduction in their monthly bill! It's not clear that AOL is doing it automatically. If you're currently paying AOL $26/month, then follow up and make sure your bill is reduced.

WEATHER WATCHER

I posted a simple sunrise/sunset tool on August 30th. Well I've found another nice, not obtrusive, no advertising weather tool. Take a look at this site and see if it fits something useful for you. It doesn't have all the advertising of WeatherBug so some of you won't want it; Weather Watcher.

SAFEGUARDING YOUR DATA

from - Cyber Security Tip ST06-008

When you store sensitive personal and work-related data on your computer, it is especially important to take extra security precautions.

Why isn't "more" better?

Maybe there is an extra software program included with a program you bought. Or perhaps you found a free download online. You may be tempted to install the programs just because you can, or because you think you might use them later. However, even if the source and the software are legitimate, there may be hidden risks. And if other people use your computer, there are additional risks.

These risks become especially important if you use your computer to manage your personal finances (banking, taxes, online bill payment, etc.), store sensitive personal data, or perform work-related activities away from the office. However, there are steps you can take to protect yourself.

How can you protect both your personal and work-related data?

Use and maintain anti-virus software and a firewall - Protect yourself against viruses and Trojan horses that may steal or modify the data on your own computer and leave you vulnerable by using anti-virus software and a firewall.

Regularly scan your computer for spyware - Spyware or adware hidden in software programs may affect the performance of your computer and give attackers access to your data.

Keep software up to date - Install software patches so that attackers cannot take advantage of known problems or vulnerabilities (see Understanding Patches for more information). Many operating systems offer automatic updates. If this option is available, turn it on.

Evaluate your software's settings - The default settings of most software enable all available functionality. However, attackers may be able to take advantage of this functionality to access your computer. It is especially important to check the settings for software that connects to the internet (browsers, email clients, etc.). Apply the highest level of security available that still gives you the functionality you need.

Avoid unused software programs - Do not clutter your computer with unnecessary software programs. If you have programs on your computer that you do not use, consider uninstalling them.

Consider creating separate user accounts - If there are other people using your computer, you may be worried that someone else may accidentally access, modify, and/or delete your files. Most operating systems (including Windows XP, Mac OS X, and Linux) give you the option of creating a different user account for each user, and you can set the amount of access and privileges for each account. You may also choose to have separate accounts for your work and personal purposes. While this approach will not completely isolate each area, it does offer some additional protection.

Establish guidelines for computer use - If there are multiple people using your computer, especially children, make sure they understand how to use the computer and internet safely. Setting boundaries and guidelines will help to protect your data (see Keeping Children Safe Online for more information).

Use passwords and encrypt sensitive files - Passwords and other security features add layers of protection if used appropriately (see Choosing and Protecting Passwords and Supplementing Passwords for more information). By encrypting files, you ensure that unauthorized people can't view data even if they can physically access it. You may also want to consider options for full disk encryption, which prevents a thief from even starting your laptop without a passphrase. When you use encryption, it is important to remember your passwords and passphrases; if you forget or lose them, you may lose your data.

Follow corporate policies for handling and storing work-related information - If you use your computer for work-related purposes, make sure to follow any corporate policies for handling and storing the information. These policies were likely established to protect proprietary information and customer data, as well as to protect you and the company from liability.

Dispose of sensitive information properly - Simply deleting a file does not completely erase it. To ensure that an attacker cannot access these files, make sure that you adequately erase sensitive files (see Effectively Erasing Files for more information).

Follow good security habits - Review other security tips for ways to protect yourself and your data.

TRUECRYPT

TrueCrypt is free open-source, on-the-fly encryption for Windows. If you have data you want to secure on your computer, this is a free and secure way to do it. Some of the details follow:

On-the-fly encryption means that data are automatically encrypted or decrypted right before they are loaded or saved, without any user intervention. No data stored on an encrypted volume can be read (decrypted) without using the correct password/keyfile(s) or correct encryption keys. Entire file system is encrypted (e.g.., file names, folder names, contents of every file, free space, meta data, etc).