It's ten o'clock—do you know who's using your wireless network? If you haven't changed the default network name or admin password someone could be eavesdropping on your email, plucking your passwords out of the air, or sending spam through your Internet connection right now! When you're using a wireless network—whether a Macintosh with AirPort gear, Windows with any Wi-Fi equipment, or a Wi-Fi handheld like the iPhone—you're exposed to risk unless you take steps.
Wireless networking experts Glenn Fleishman and Adam Engst have spent years researching and covering wireless security issues on Glenn's Wi-Fi Networking News blog and in two editions of
The Wireless Networking Starter Kit. Now they've distilled that experience into this essential guide for anyone using wireless networks, whether at home, at work, or on the road. You'll learn how to evaluate your real security risks; the best way to restrict access to your network using WPA; how to secure your data in transit with PGP, SSL, SSH, and VPNs; and how to protect your computers from viruses and attacks.
The book provides extra advice on how to secure small office wireless network, including details on choosing VPN hardware and software and on setting up 802.1X for secure Wi-Fi logins. The final section of the book helps you determine how successful your security efforts have been by showing you how to perform a detailed security audit on your wireless network using the same freely available tools that crackers might use against you.
"The authors, two guys with enormous geek credibility, take the confusing tangle of Wi-Fi security issues and break it down for you in plain language. The book is a marvel of excellent technical writing for a general audience." —Barry Campbell on
Blogcritics.org
Read this book to learn the answers to questions like:
- Should I worry about someone eavesdropping on my home wireless network?
- How can I find out if someone is snooping on my wireless network right now?
- Do I need a VPN to protect my sensitive work communications?
- How can I protect sensitive communiations on my iPhone?
- What is sidejacking, and what should I do about it?
- Can I control access to my wireless network by user name and password?
- What software can I use for secure email and file transfer?
- How does public-key encryption work?
- Our office has only 15 people—can we afford the best Wi-Fi security?
- Is it really possible to break a WEP key in less than a minute?
