WPA WiFi standard has been compromised

Rumors floating around the computer security world the last few days have been verified. Researchers have found a way to bypass the security used on most wireless routers, laptops and cell phones.

The flaw is in the WiFi standard itself and not with any make or brand of routers. So it may take some time before a wide release of a fix becomes available.

A first look at what sort of attack may be used against this flaw seems to indicate that an attacker would have to be in range of a WiFi device. So while still serious, it would limit attacks to hackers within a few hundred feet of your router.

For now I am sure that the WiFi standard will be worked on as well as a rush by manufactures to implement patches. As this flaw has just been found there are only a few things an end user may do at this point…

  1. Update your security patches for routers and other WiFi devices.
  2. Limit your public WiFi use until patches are released (AND INSTALLED).
  3. Make sure the websites you’re using are secure by logging onto only secure sites that use the HTTPS protocol. If you do not know how to do this then install a plugin for your browser such as HTTP Everywhere that will make sure your connected securely.

UPDATE: 1:16 PM 10/16/2017

It seems Microsoft had a heads up with this problem and has some fixes. You can choose just to do a regular update to get your computer patched or go here and download for your “flavor” of Windows.

https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2017-13080

Taking out the trash

Seems in the past few weeks a bunch of old tech favs have fallen by the wayside.

Piriform’s Ccleaner had a bad security breach that left it’s utilities hacked and without a clear response and explanation on how their security failed so badly are now off my list of recommend software.

AIM Messenger, once a classic instant messaging platform is calling it a day. Now if AOL will just stop scamming all the computer illiterate with their AOL Desktop software I will be happy.

And Today Microsoft admits that they are now out of the phone business. Letting Windows 10 mobile die off. If not so gracefully.

The one rule in technology is it always changes, and I am happy to see the above fade away in favor of more modern,  secure and helpful technology that I can tell my computer repair clients about.