Re: [PLUG] Wireless access

Matthew Rosewarne <mrosewarne@inoutbox.com> · Wed, 5 Dec 2007 15:40:40 -0500

On Tuesday 04 December 2007, Brian Vagnoni wrote:
> I respectfully disagree. Your home is your castle, your place of peace and
> rest. It is also a place of privacy unless you live in a commune. Opening
> up your wireless network exposes your computer to unnecessary risk, and
> privacy invasion. With that philosophy why don't you just run a wired
> connection out your front door and leave it on the curb for passers by with
> a sign stating to please use my network. As I mentioned in private to other
> people on this list that there are certain intangibles that you need to
> take into consideration before doing this.

You're disagreeing with a man who uses an epic passpoem, detailing the life 
and works of seven mythical Norse heroes?  I'll stick with Bruce's advice on 
this one...
http://geekz.co.uk/schneierfacts/

Seriously though, there shouldn't any real problem with offering a public 
ethernet jack, just like a public wifi network.  Real security isn't making 
more walls, it's about putting your walls in the right places.  The DMZ+VPN 
is the best approach I can think of, but even that doesn't provide much real 
additional security.

> Securing your networks is a small price
> to pay for your families privacy, security and sense of trust.

Sense of trust is one thing, but security is quite another.  Wireless 
encryption is about the same level security as taking your shoes off at the 
airport.

> Though I respect Bruce, I'm sure he doesn't keep person info on his system
> knowing how easy it is to steal. Like the wild west he has a target on him,
> every hacker out there wants to say, yes I broke into Bruce's computer and
> got his information.

So... you'd think someone would have compromised his unsecured network by now.