According to that site
VIPR PWR, it still requires someone with a "sniffer" to even discover the SSID, while Vista/Win7 can properly connect to non-broadcast SSID's. The line is still drawn to the fact it still takes an
extra step to get in, despite it being easy to discover. Same goes for spoofing MAC addresses. It's but another step that someone has to do. It's the same thing when it comes to locking up our vehicles. If our windows are down a crack, spare set of keys (trucks or not) visible, parked in a not well lit area, no LED indicator, valuable items clearly visible, it's going to make it that much easier for a criminal to want to gain entry, even being able to choose where he'd like to start with first! There is no bullet-proof system, even when you take all the precautions. If someone wants to get in, they will.
I agree with how MAC-Filters and SSID's are not
secure options behind the networks. It's because they
are there that they make them
not secure based on the methods to exploit them! MS knows this and is doing nothing about it! That's why Wi-Fi encryption banks of data packets is only as good as its key-strength. But regardless, to whoever may be able to get into your network or not, they
would have to use these tools to begin their attack. It doesn't matter if they already have them. Also, he says: "Both WPA and WPA2 are built on sound cryptographic principles, they're proven in the field, and they'll keep the bad guys out --
even when you're broadcasting your SSID to the world" So, in relation they both function the same, hidden or not. But not everyone is aware of this. That's
my point! It just keeps honest people from snooping at your network. Obviously dishonest people don't care about viewing other people's privacy. This is where at some point, by disabling SSID from broadcasting, it could possibly avoid the curiosity of an honest person before it gets the best of him.
It is a heated debate out there, put often as soot it becomes. How can something that might prevent non tech savvy people discovering it, turn into people who want to take advantage of it if they were to see your network? This is where it becomes moot.
The more things that are not shown to public eyes (whether possible attackers or ones learning to be) keeps
you that much more out of harms way for the while.
Speak of the devil, PeerBlock is something you can check into. It has listed IP's ranging into the
billions that can be blocked. It will require some config'n to make it show websites properly in browsers. It's effective. To what choice of firewall you decide is best, make sure after you open most of the default zones that you switch it to policy-mode (may be named something else.) That website that
Da1Chief linked earlier, the leak test did not get by mine, nor did the rest of them. See if your LAN IP appears here
www.auditmypc.com - which uses Java to get this information. Java for the most part, doesn't require user-permission to collect data. It's not
really a security risk but it should be hidden. Again, this acts as another step along with the many that eventually act as some measure of defense.
You could do SSH-tunneling with
proxifier. It could be a lot of things that are causing you problems. Sometimes the packs you download allow your system to become targeted.
There's many variables. Perhaps reformat and try again and whatever software you installed for protection, try something else. People forget that the free AV/FW's are the ones most targeted by attackers. They are also some of the most strongest AV/FW's because of this reason alone. The support is much more in demand to countering the attacks.
Black Hole Exploit... what
are you doing ....? :aetsch:
