The Wpa2 Hack Means a Vpn is No Longer Optional BySydney Butler-17 October 2017.042 Some very troubling news has hit the internet in the last 24 hours. It has weakened the WiFi infrastructure that we all use on a daily basis. With a serious weakness in the WiFi Protected Access 2 or Wpa2 protocol we are now all vulnerable to privacy invasions by anyone who comes within range of our WiFi routers. This is a serious internet security issue in the world and measures need to be taken as soon as possible. While there is no question that there will be a patch in the wild, we strongly recommend using a Vpn to encrypt the packets you send over your WiFi network. To better understand why this is important let’s look at exactly what went wrong with WiFi protection around the world.
What exactly is Wpa 2? There was just plain old Wpa prior to Wpa 2. Even before there was Wep anonymity or wired equivalence. Wep is so easy to break into these days, that anyone with a packet sniffer like Aircrack-ng can relatively easily break into it. Therefore no one is using it anymore. We’re now two generations along and since 2006, Wpa 2 has been a stable solution. Wpa 2 uses stringent encryption to mask your data packet content. So even if a packet sniffing program can see the packets without the decryption key it can not understand them. If you’re using network equipment that’s been built in the last 10 or so years, chances are that it’s using Wpa 2. That is all from your smart TV to your phone. See the problem right here?
What did Wpa 2 do? It’s been hacked in short. The contents of this website were published by a security researcher called Mathy Vanhoef. In Wpa 2, Vanhoef and his team found vulnerabilities that allow an intruder to do some nasty things to your home network potentially. Vanhoef has tested the practicality of the attack, so we have no choice but to take it very seriously. So what can this approach be used by an attacker? Read encrypted WiFi traffic Snatch password chat contents of credit card numbers, etc. Insert malware into device
What will be done?
What will be done?
Exactly what will happen next is hard to say but there is no question that this security hole will need to be fixed quickly. To foresee a “Wpa 3” or another new security protocol to replace what everyone is using now is not far-fetched. It’s like getting a patch issued for all network devices in the short term. Routers will need to repair tvs, and everything else with a WiFi chip. It is not just users at home, either. Wpa 2-Enterprise is also vulnerable to Krack which is much harder to crack. It doesn’t matter that the key re-installation attack will still work for every client on the enterprise-grade Wpa has a unique key.
What Should We Do?
Now that the hack details are out in the wild you can bet your bottom dollar, it won’t be long before the script kiddies have a set of tools they can use to move around the neighborhood.
Go Wireless
See how much of your networked devices can be converted to Ethernet connections first. This may seem impractical but there are ways to get Ethernet where it needs to go without all the creeping in the ceiling business these days. You could get a package of Ethernet Power Line Extender for example. These puppies use cabling to transfer network data in your house. So you can install one from your router and one from your smart Tv or console. Comtrend Powerline Ethernet on Amazon($74.50) This will not only give you better performance than WiFi, it also means you’re reducing the number of devices that connect via WiFi. That’s less chances of Krack succumbing.
Use wireless insulation
Many routers have a wireless insulation option. With this feature moved to a device connected to the WiFi, other computers or devices can’t be seen on the network. It just can connect to the internet. This is it. So even if somebody on your network is damaging a WiFi system they can not get into the rest of the goodies. It still leaves vulnerable the details that the system transmits to the web but we will get to the next one. The downside to this is that if you’re using local network tools like a media server printer or Nas then you’re going to have to live with only wired devices accessing them for now.