Wireless Popularity: New Security Concerns for a Wireless Age - FTP
(Page 3 of 4 )
FTP is one of the lesser-know protocols on the Internet today. In years past, it was one of the major ways to transmit files across the Internet. It is still often used today for file transportation, especially within enterprise networks and for relatively knowledgeable computer users to download files from software vendors. Again, this protocol is by default plain text, with everything sent unencrypted. This makes it possible again to grab usernames and passwords. However, it is also possible when snooping FTP to grab entire files, because the actual file data is passed in plain text as well.
HTTP
This is the most ubiquitous protocol in use today, and consequently, the one that has received the most security attention. In HTTP, most websites that transmit sensitive information, like credit card data and username/password pairs are set up to use SSL (secure socket layer) public key encryption to scramble the data. This means the most egregious of security breaches are often closed with HTTP. However, many less-critical HTML form interactions are handled in plain text, and as such are open to interception.
Home User Solutions
Now that I have addressed some examples of security flaws, let me cover some of the possible solutions to these problems. One of the simplest and most well known solutions to these problems lies in encrypting the wireless signal itself. This is the solution most feasible for home users connecting to a broadband wireless router box.
The danger here lies in the security flaws inherent in the most popular wireless encryption: WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). When it was first rolled out, WEP was meant to account for these sorts of problems by encrypting the wireless signal when it leaves the client and when it leaves the base station. However, since then, serious security flaws have been discovered in the WEP algorithm that allows it to be broken easily and often quickly.
Another protocol, called WPA, accounts for this problem, and is much more difficult to crack. However, the issue here lies in the often low level of knowledge possessed by home users implementing these networks. If a home user is not aware of the security issues in the WEP algorithm, that user could be open to interception by malicious hackers. This problem can be fixed through good documentation provided by base station manufacturers and good dissemination of information through mainstream press to end users.
Next: Conclusion >>
More Opinions Articles
More By Michael Swanson
