SECURITY IN A MOBILE WORLD! ---- PART III

By , posted Thursday, May. 4th, 2006
Reader Comments: 3

4.) Wireless Encryption Programs: This type of program will create an encrypted “tunnel” between your device and their far-end server, which you can then utilize for sending packets securely. Both offerings are limited to PC use, and are not yet mature enough to be leveraged on the PocketPC platform. However, per David Blumenfeld, VP of Marketing at JiWire, they are working hard on creating a new version of their service which will be “clientless”. This should allow for users to utilize this service on a PocketPC.

While either session will be open to eavesdropping and recording to a raw file by a sniffer, by NIST figures, it would still take 149 Trillion years to crack a 128bit AES cipher (per NIST’s Website).

For Hotspot Encryption: JiWire’s SpotLock service for laptops offers a subscription with a free 30-day review, then 4.95 a month thereafter. This service will provide you with an encrypted session between your Laptop and their far-end server whenever you use their VPN client. The packets are encrypted at the Network Layer, not the Data Link Layer (where WEP, TKIP, or AES work to encrypt your Wireless Wi-Fi signal).

- For those members interested in obtaining SpotLock service for their Laptop, enter the promotion code “davesipaq” during your order to get 1 free month of SpotLock service, courtesy of JiWire. You may use the 30 day review freely and if you are not satisfied, you may cancel without any obligation.

For Virtual Private Wireless Networking: McAfee Wireless Security offers a similar subscription options: 30 days free, then only $4.95 or less (?) per month, however it should be mentioned that their service is designed more for building a Virtual Private Wireless LAN for your small business or company. It does not offer you Internet Access from a randomly chosen hotspots like Spotlock, so it is actually more of a complimentary product than a competitor. Built-out correctly, you can connect multiple resources from different offices to make a VPN Wireless LAN.

5.) Update your OS with All Relevant Software Updates and Patches: Your operating system needs to be updated from time to time with security patches. Turning on "Automatic Updates" is a great place to start. After this, users should download and install the most recent Service Packs for their OS. Rebooting after the Service Packs, it would be best to then download and install the individual Security Patches and updates available via Windows Update Service.

Microsoft Automatic Updates can be turned-on by going to Control Panel, double-clicking on “Automatic Updates”, and enable the feature.

Download and Install any Service Packs for your OS:

- Windows 2000,
- Windows 98 (First and Second Editions),
- Windows NT, and
- Windows 95.
- Then, download and install any Security Patches or Updates via the Windows Update Service.

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Whit,

I am sorry to hear that you were bothered by my paralleling vigilance in the arena of security with the specific example of women requesting an escort to their car (presuming it is located in a dark/unlighted location).

If I understand your question correctly, you seem to be inferring that I would place the blame at a woman's feet if she were assaulted after chosing to decline an escort. This is absolutely not the case, as I demonstrate with another example that precedes the "escort" example.

All I am attempting to do is drive the initial thought: "could I do something to better protect myself?". If the woman asks the question of herself at all, then my job is done. Likewise, if you consider if it's safest to secure your bike in a dark corner next to a store, or in the well lit bike rack, then my job is done. Your choices are yours to make, as are the results of that choice.

On to your seperate question relating to links and "measures" that Mobility Today offers: any links offered on this site are for your convenience only, we offer no measures which protect users from clicking on ANY links. While we actively police the forums for innappropriate posts, we are not the actual Police or any kind of law enforcement. We are merely VOLUNTEER librarians trying to answer as many questions as possible for end users, while asking those noisy users to "shhhh!".

I am sorry to hear that a download that you installed opened up your home network, but you should not expect Mobility Today to do your work for you in screening downloads or testing them with antivirus or trojan detection software. This is your job. Assuming it's someone else's job to protect you is the surest way to get into trouble.

In the same manner, the individual should always check the credentials of the person they are accepting the escort from. If you judge the escort to be a "black hat" (BH), then it's up to you decide how to utilize their services or offerings.

Posted by , Tuesday, May. 9th, 2006

This was helpful to me and it has good hints. However, at times I am taken by your references to women and what you seem to imply about the responsibility of a victim.

Your parellel about women who choose not to ask for security escorts to their cars at night is bothersome. Eactly what were you implying?

I downloaded something someone offered through a link posted in davesipaq forum (65xx series) that contained programming that opened up my home network, and PDA. I had no way of knowing what was in that download.

So what if the individual security escort is the attacker?

Who is wearing the white hat and who is wearing the black hat?

What measures does Mobilitytoday.com take to protect forum members like myself, who are willing to download. Are posted downloads reviewed by any security-enhancing protocol?

Posted by Whit, Wednesday, Mar. 22nd, 2006

Elrendhel, I can't thank you enough for your work here. It's incredibly well written and presented in terms that I can understand. Thank you so so much.

Posted by Laura, Monday, Oct. 17th, 2005

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