Andy Gomsi
Posted 4 years, 8 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Is it possible for a hacker to use some of your data volume allocation with your ISP if you are on Telstra Wireless broadband?
I know hackers can get into your local network depending on your security settings, but thought that Telstra would have the necessary security in place to avoid this scenario. If they could hack in wouldn't that also mean they could hack into your cell phone?
I can see how you could possibly listen in to wireless broadband traffic but can't see how you could possibly sync into the traffic in order to use it for your own purposes.
By the way I am not asking because I intend to do any hacking, rather that I was told that this could happen, but I don't really believe it.
Gordon Drennan
Posted 4 years, 8 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Re: Wireless broadband
Is it possible that a huge meteor could fall out of the sky and wipe out all life on the planet? Is is possible that terrorists could attack the train you're on? Is it possible someone could hack into your wireless broadband connection? Yes to all of them. But are they probable enough that you ought to get into a panic about it? No.
There are lots of possible ways to breach most kinds of computer security. The trick is to make it take so much time and money and effort that its not worth it. That's the case with wireless broadband. Someone could find an easy quick cheap way of doing it, at which point wireless broadband security will be updated to make it impracticable, difficult, expensive and slow again.
Its easy to see wireless traffic. Seeing what the content of that traffic is is much harder because you have to be able to decrypt the messages. You can do that if you can steal the key from your equipment or from your wireless providers' systems, or put enough processing power into the exercise that you can determine what it is. Syncing into the data stream isn't necessary. All you have to do is initiate another connection from another point in the network and pretend to be you. But again, pretending to be you requires the encryption key.
There are people who can and do all this routinely. They have connections into Telstra's network. But I doubt if the NSA is interested in the contents of your internet traffic or is so short of funds that it needs to steal from you.
Chris Burrage
Posted 4 years, 8 months ago
Joined: 12 years, 5 months ago
Re: Wireless broadband
Can it happen? Of course. It is not necessary to "hack". Drive around (as a passenger) with your wireless laptop on your lap. When you pick up a wireless network, attempt to log on. At least 50%? will be unsecured, so away you go. Free internet. Of course, you will have your own wireless connection secured. There are various methods which your manual will explain, but whatever you use, also use if possible mac address authentication. This will only allow specific network cards to connect and coupled with a regularly changed password will keep your system secure. After all, who will park outside your place for the weeks or months necessary to "hack" a properly secured system.
Chris B
p.s. A password of something like "mypassword" will take about 1 minute to crack but "!*ghtK74W^^%$dPgZe7640" will take months.
