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[sphinx]

so apparently the internet network at home was hacked, a long story not worth telling.

the thing is, we are considering our options for more security. We were wanting to get rid of the network all together but since we are tied with a contract, that would be a bit silly, meaning pay up and not use what you've paid for.

so, our router has the option to turn off the WLAN and go with a wired connection.

but will our problems be solved? I have no idea, I don't have any knowledge on these things.

are wired connections actually safer than wireless??

I mean, if I have my PC system closed and not visible to anyone and the WLAN is off, how could possibly anyone tamper with it?? is there anything I am missing? thanks!

 

[Whitechocolatekrispies]

Well unless they can get a physical connection, they can't hijack a wired network.

We're going to need more details about them hijacking your wireless connection?

 

[popeutlal]

WPA2 security on wireless connection is sufficient enough.

 

[Anion]

Yeah, wired should be much better because it is less accessible. Next time you could hide your SSID if you want to go wireless.

The NSA still will be able to track you down nonetheless wired or wireless

 

[Armoured Titan]

We need some more information for clarification.

You say your network was hacked. What made you confirm this? What set the alarm bells ringing and also were you hacked wirelessly or was it a hack from the internet itself?

 

[sphinx]

Well unless they can get a physical connection, they can't hijack a wired network.

We're going to need more details about them hijacking your wireless connection?

sorry but I rather not disclose that here,I know you guys want to help but usually putting things like that up for discussion on the internet leads to chaos and more uncertainity.

Thank you everyone for your understanding.

I hope you are right with your first sentence.

WPA2 security on wireless connection is sufficient enough.

apparently not.

 

[Gaz Pwnage]

sorry but I rather not disclose that here,I know you guys want to help but usually putting things like that up for discussion on the internet leads to chaos and more uncertainity.

Thank you everyone for your understanding.

I hope you are right with your first sentence.



apparently not.

From the sounds of it you got hit by the WPS vulnerability since u don't seem to be disclosing information and claim to have been using WPA2. Other than that u either leaked ur password out or had a flaw due to human error.

Its pretty hard to break wireless security when its actually properly secured.

 

[Photolysis]

It's impossible to answer the question with the use of the rather unhelpful phrase "hacked". That could mean anything from your network being compromised, to an attacker making use of a trojan and then breaking in from the internet, which would be completely different.

Wired connections are more secure than wireless since they require physical access. If you are going to continue to use wireless, stick it on WPA2 and use a strong key.

Also disable WPS on your router if possible, since that's a major security flaw.

sorry but I rather not disclose that here,I know you guys want to help but usually putting things like that up for discussion on the internet leads to chaos and more uncertainity.

Wait, what? You're asking for technical help, and then refusing to describe the problem.

People can't help with problems when insufficient information is given. You're hamstringing your ability to fix the problem, which seems rather bizarre when you admit that you don't know the subject matter.

If you asked your mechanic to fix your car, you wouldn't tell him "I'm not disclosing that" if he asked you what the problem was, or why you feel something is wrong.

 

[plainr_]

Have a look at Wireless MAC filtering. Most routers have this feature.

With this you can specify which devices can connect.

This of course is not bulletproof since MAC addresses can be spoofed but an extra layer of security is always good.

 

[StayDead]

WPA2 is currently one of the most secure wireless options avaliable at the current time.

Of course, a properly wired connection with a well configured firewall is still more secure since unless they can physically plug something in to your ethernet switch/directly to your router then they're not going to be able to packet sniff unless you download some kind of trojan.

You shouldn't really be having any issues with WPA2 unless it's incorrectly configured, but I wouldn't be able to say exactly what's happened with the details you've given.

 

[pestul]

"a long story not worth telling"

I'm not sure what you're afraid of here. Just because you divulge the security settings you used that led to the 'hack' or breach doesn't put you at any more risk. We would like to know very much what happened.

And of course a wired network is more secure, but WPA2 is great as well with a strong password and group key interval. Unless your specific model of router has some kind of weird bug/exploit. If the router is provided for by an isp, please change the wifi password from the one they give you on the bottom of the machine.

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

wpa2 with a non-trivial password not shared should have protected you. Get a router with a guest network for guests.

Wired network is secure from the vulnerability that wifi exposes you to, but is identically vulnerable to malware-created tunnels and the like.

 

[MWS Natural]

WPA2
Password length of 15+
Don't broadcast your SSID.

 

[Photolysis]

Have a look at Wireless MAC filtering. Most routers have this feature.

Wireless MAC filtering is not secure. An attacker can sniff wireless traffic and obtain allowed MAC addresses and then spoof it. It's so trivial for anyone who knows what they're doing that you might as well not bother.

MAC filtering is only effective for wired connections, and even then it's not a substitute for proper security.

 

[epmode]

Don't broadcast your SSID.

I don't think this will help much at all.

 

[shira]

so apparently the internet network at home was hacked, a long story not worth telling.

the thing is, we are considering our options for more security. We were wanting to get rid of the network all together but since we are tied with a contract, that would be a bit silly, meaning pay up and not use what you've paid for.

so, our router has the option to turn off the WLAN and go with a wired connection.

but will our problems be solved? I have no idea, I don't have any knowledge on these things.

are wired connections actually safer than wireless??

I mean, if I have my PC system closed and not visible to anyone and the WLAN is off, how could possibly anyone tamper with it?? is there anything I am missing? thanks!

Wifi is only good for convenience like if you have multiple devices connected, if your only connection is PC and it is in a good spot then you should be fine.

 

[pestul]

It's almost better to broadcast your SSID imo. When you hide it, and it's so easy to find anyway, it almost implies that you have goodies worth going after. Of course that makes no difference if you have a strong WPA2 password.

 

[plainr_]

Wireless MAC filtering is not secure. An attacker can sniff wireless traffic and obtain allowed MAC addresses and then spoof it. It's so trivial for anyone who knows what they're doing that you might as well not bother.

MAC filtering is only effective for wired connections, and even then it's not a substitute for proper security.

Ah that makes sense. I don't use it myself since I don't think anyone can even brute force my WPA2 password.

 

[mackattk]

I don't think this will help much at all.

I think it would help. Say if someone is driving around (or in an apartment building) and looking to hack into someone's wifi. Would they choose one that looks to be an easier target or one that has their SSID hidden? I am just going on the assumption that if someone takes the time of setting up a hidden SSID, on average, their network would be more secure.

That being said, a hidden SSID won't help in a targeted attack.

 

[Photolysis]

Ah that makes sense. I don't use it myself since I don't think anyone can even brute force my WPA2 password.

It shouldn't even be an option for home user routers in my opinion, simply because it gives a completely false impression of security. And the average home user is not going to need it for their wired connections.

I think it would help. Say if someone is driving around (or in an apartment building) and looking to hack into someone's wifi. Would they choose one that looks to be an easier target or one that has their SSID hidden? I am just going on the assumption that if someone takes the time of setting up a hidden SSID, on average, their network would be more secure.

That being said, a hidden SSID won't help in a targeted attack.

Even if you're cruising around, it's fairly easy to scan for them (both passively and actively) and there's software out there to do this. Probably the only real use of it is stopping your neighbour from logging on to your unsecured wireless connection and stealing your wifi.

Security through obscurity is not a sound tactic. Proper security will withstand scrutiny and attacks.

 

[swecide]

If you have a spare computer around, you should consider installing pfSense on it and get the fuck away from consumer grade routers.

Also, this!

Security through obscurity is not a sound tactic. Proper security will withstand scrutiny and attacks.