Specifications

12
sensitive personal information while on
a publicly accessible wireless network.
Some of the commercial hotspots offer
“WEP,” or wireless encryption protocol,
which makes it more difficult for
unwelcome third parties to listen in on
internet communications, but the
methods for cracking WEP have been
widely published, and are now only
considered to provide marginal security.
One warning about wireless internet
access; it is illegal to access a wireless
network without the consent of the
owner, despite the fact that studies have
indicated that about 80% of all private
wireless networks, both workplace and
home based, are not adequately
protected, and can easily be picked up
and accessed by anyone who wants
access. A popular hacker method of
gaining “free” broadband internet access
is driving around town with a notebook
computer with 802.11 hardware, and
logging the wireless networks found,
with those same networks often
broadcasting the SSID necessary for
access. This practice is called
“wardriving.” In major cities, marks are
drawn on sidewalks and the outside
walls of buildings in a similar escapade,
“warchalking,” where SSID’s and other
relevant information is written for all to
see, and access. Locally, in a security
demonstration, a security consultant
drove around the business district of
town, and logged hundreds of wireless
networks, 80% of which were easily
accessible, as they were not properly
secured. These included such sensitive
locations as banks, law offices, retail
stores, medical facilities, and other
choice locations for hackers to penetrate.
Use the Jwire sites to find wireless
access, as I do, but be totally aware of
the risk and security implications of
broadcasting critical information. There
are a variety of hardware and software
utilities that can be utilized to harden
wireless access.
Ira Wilsker is a member of the
Golden Triangle PC Club, a columnist
for the Examiner in Beaumont, Texas,
and has two radio shows. He can be
reached at <[e-mail]>.
There is no restriction against any
non-profit group using this article as
long as it is kept in context with proper
credit given the author. The Editorial
Committee of the Association of
Personal Computer User Groups
(APCUG), an international
organization of which this group is a
member, brings this article to you.
Useful Bookmarks
By Richard Johnson
The Web is a marvelous resource, and
most of us come nowhere near tapping
its full potential. I’ve attempted here to
list websites that, without any necessary
downloading, provide exceedingly
useful free non-specialized services and
tools, that require no particular
knowledge except how to navigate the
World Wide Web.
1. Time Cave
<
www.timecave.com>
Memo to Me
<
www.memotome.com>
Using these two e-mail reminder
services, you’ll never forget another
upcoming activity or event. Time Cave
allows you to schedule incoming
messages by interval (so many hours,
days, weeks, months, or even years
away) as well as by date and time.
Memo to Me allows editing of content
and date. With Time Cave you can
choose your own subject line and send