Security: how do you help your neighbours?

Security is a hot topic in the IT world these days - both with the spate of viruses such as nimda and Blaster that have affected Microsoft systems and in a post 9/11 era it's no surprise. Still it surprises me how many organisations pay it lip service. "war driving" got a lot of publicity a few years back - basically the practice of driving around looking for open access wireless networks and riding on the back of them to get free Internet access. Not such a bad practice you may think but as businesses allow their employees more freedom to work from home what may look like simple neighbourly freeloading may be something much more sinister. It didn't really hit me until a few weeks ago but here's how:

My neighbour has recently bought a PSP and is quite pleased with it. He bumped in to me a few weeks ago and said "yep it's great - I've been happily surfing the net on it and think I may have been using your WiFi". Either my neighbour has a supercomputer in his basement to crack my WPA protection or he's riding on someone else network. Sure enough a week later he said "I assume your network is the one call X....the one that has proper security on it". I was pleased to confirm to him it was. However, even from my property and his there are at least 2 other open wireless access points that he could use any time night or day. Quite who owns those networks or what is being transmitted on them is anyone's guess but even for a basic IT sleuth it wouldn't take too much work to find out. Nor to find out what other devices are connected to them I imagine. I for one would be devastated if someone could get on to my home network and do any damage my precious backup of family photos etc. Makes you wonder eh? I suppose I should burn all the really vital stuff off to DVD or other media but who does?

Anyway, the PC World supplement I mentioned last week that came with The Sunday Times (sadly not on their supplements site) got me thinking about this. They had some pretty good advice about not broadcasting your SSID, using WPA2, using professionals to help you secure your network etc. All good advice that if you're investing in IT to help drive your business it's worthwhile thinking about. My only advice - your business IT no longer stops at the bricks and mortar that make up your office.

Here is what I'd really like though - a polite, non intrusive way to tell my local residents that their network is open and for the price of a good cup of coffee I'd be happy to help them secure it. Anyone seen some software that does something like that? The hardware approach (i.e. going door knocking just doesn't appeal!)

Comments

• Anonymous
  March 07, 2006
  The comment has been removed
• Anonymous
  March 07, 2006
  thanks Paul - appreciate the input and thanks for the link. I guess what this continues to prove is that security is a journey, not a destination and it's something we need to costantly be monitoring.