WiFi Triangulation 233
mikegroovy writes "WiFi software
tracks you down: 'Positioning technology company Ekahau has released an updated version of its software, which allows devices to be physically tracked when they are connected to an 802.11 WLAN network.' Maybe connections that are made from the street(or outside of a predefined area) could be automatically disconnected... It may spell an end to warchalking."
Finally (Score:2, Insightful)
Good God, are you Clueless? (Score:5, Insightful)
end to warchalking? (Score:5, Insightful)
big brother? (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Good God, are you Clueless? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:some additional info (Score:2, Insightful)
And yeah, yeah, triangulation and signal strength and stuff, but does this software do it the hard way or depend on the truthful clients?
Re:Good God, are you Clueless? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Good God, are you Clueless? (Score:3, Insightful)
Anyway, 128-bit WEP (actually just 104 bits) isn't safe. The crack just takes twice as long.
Silly, silly controls... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Constantly diminishing signals are rare in RL (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Where will it end? (Score:2, Insightful)
That's not what warchalking is about. It is about marking open access points, not about breaking into networks.
It should be legal to plug an AP into my DSL line, put a chalk mark on the side of the building and allow people nearby to use my connection for checking mail or the occational browsing.
Is it shoplifting or trespass if your neighbour put a radio in the window and you listen to it while relaxing in your yard?
Securing an AP is fairly trivial, and people who don't want the occational stranger to access their network should take the 30 seconds needed to enable WEP or password/MAC security.
Re:Good God, are you Clueless? (Score:4, Insightful)
It will take AirSnort all of 30 minutes to crack your 128Bit WEP encryption since it is so badly flawed that I'd rather go _without_ it.
Really, _don't_ trust WEP. Search Google or Ask Slashdot about cracking it, have a look at what You'll find.
The only reachable IP on my 802.11 net is the IPSEC gateway.
Re:Good God, are you Clueless? (Score:5, Insightful)
We all know that. But an AP with WEP enabled is the digital equivalent of a "no trespass" sign, while an AP with no security at all is either set up by a clueless newbie or is deliberately left open to allow other people to get Internet access (which I'll do once I go wireless in my apartment).
In order to promote public accesspoints, I'd prefer that the law doesn't consider it trespass to use an unsecured AP for Internet access.
Re:Good God, are you Clueless? (Score:2, Insightful)
It's not that it's hard, it's that the kinds of people who are generally setting these things up have been roped into doing so, and often don't have the first clue about security in general. Nor do they care - they're not usually frontliners who deal with security breaches on a day-by-day basis, and probably couldn't detect a security breach if/when it happened to them.
Very few SMEs - at least in Australia - 'can afford' to hire a fulltime sysadmin with any level of security knowledge. Sad, yet true...
Re:Where will it end? (Score:4, Insightful)
Anybody who comes up with any kind of estimate is an idiot, and is obviously being "funded" by some interested party. CD sales went up when Napster was in its prime. What does that mean? Nothing. Maybe the fact that we're in a major recession and people don't have as much money to blow on stuff, or that the crap they're pushing for sale... naah, that couldn't be it. It must be those Music Pirates! Arrr!
Not so (Score:1, Insightful)
So a bit of heavy math is involved to get traction on the problem but hey, someone paid all those 19th century mathematicians to come up with these algebraic tools. We might as well use them when they apply.
Re:Good God, are you Clueless? (Score:2, Insightful)
Heh. Not so quick guys. (Score:2, Insightful)
Even the very term "triangulation" implies that you'll need 3 access points to do it.
- With 3 access points, you can generally locate a signal rather well, because they can see more points, and in particular if the 3 APs are located in a triangular fashion, with the user in the middle, youcan quite accurately track them.
The accuracy of the system will be almost entirely dependent on the number of access points that a user can see at a given moment, the more APs, the more accurate. Just like GPS.Re:Good God, are you Clueless? (Score:4, Insightful)
This may an important consideration for home wireless networks, but no excuse for corporate networks. Any business that has a "non-techie" building their network is inviting a whole lot of trouble--most of which probably won't be coming to them through their wireless AP.
Re:Good God, are you Clueless? (Score:4, Insightful)
That practice is one reason that even clued network admins need to regularly recheck their networks for AP's. Rogue ones will forever be a pain in the ass.
Don't forget the "Tri" in "Triangulate"! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:not really the end... (Score:2, Insightful)
Bollocks it does! I'm fed up hearing this negative view of warchalking coming from people who don't have a clue. I have a warchalk symbol outside my house to denote that I give free net access, not that I have 'an insecure network.' Warchalking is about telling others what is available, and it doesn't imply that the network is insecure or illegal in any way.
No wonder warchalking is getting so much bad press these days. Next I'll be having the Police at my door, arresting me for being a hacker on my own network and telling others about the free net access I've found.
Bloody idiots.