Stupid comment of the day?
From an article on wireless ID for the FAA
“The threat from wireless devices happens whether…you have wireless deployed or not,” said Amit Sinha, chief technology officer at AirDefense. “You can have a simple Linksys access point that bypasses firewalls and provides a backdoor entry into your private network.”
Well it seems to me that if you don’t have wireless deployed then you don’t have any wireless access points. If you are not deploying wireless then all of your routers should be wireline only. Further even if you do have wireless capability in a primarily wireline router that capability can be turned off. It looks like he’s indulging in a bit of FUD to drive up sales for his company.
Not to mention WTF is the FAA doing having any wireless networks? Wire is cheap and far more secure. FAA networks are too important to national security to have any wireless access points.
Comments
Comment from Doug Alder
Time: 1/2/2007, 7:18 pm
That’s interesting Ken - I take it that it’s not a Windows system? There are so many vulnerabilities in Windows that only require a connection to the net to be taken advantage of that I don’t see how you could do that without a firewall (preferably hardware).
I use a router in front of my system so I’m in private IP space. I’ve never had a virus or had one of my computers hacked or infected in any way since I first got online in 1993.
Comment from Ken Camp
Time: 1/2/2007, 6:08 pm
I see stupid crap like this day and and day out. I’ve actually laughed at some of the vendors on the phone.
There are some sad, real dangers, and the Linksys SSID is a good example. Were I setting up and evil AP, I’d used Linksys for the SSID. For most users, if they have ever connected to any Linksys WAP, at home, work, hotel or other, the trust relationship with the SSID is most likely established. If the radio isn’t off in the PC, I can turn on an access point and every workstation within range that’s ever trusted a Linksys box, will by default trust me.
Sadly, I demonstrated this just recently.
The problem is that it’s all about common sense. People who do stupid things will get hurt, whether by ignorance or by admin oversight in a company doesn’t matter much. We have met the enemy, and he is us, so to speak. Education and good habits are the only defense.
BTW - This makes 7 years for one system I have up and running on the net with no firewall and no AV. And it’s yet to ever be infected. Ever. My personal proof that it’s not about what you load or buy or add on to the network/system. It’s about how you behave on the net.