A serious WiFi flaw was discovered affecting all WiFi devices.
This has been circulating for a few days on the news now but a cool summary was sent to me by Norton today which I would like to share with the community.
A serious new vulnerability called KRACK (Key Reinstallation Attacks) was announced recently, likely impacting anyone who uses Wi-Fi. All Wi-Fi connection points and devices could be vulnerable—your local coffee shop, home, or workplace connection.
KRACK can allow attackers access to important information like credit card numbers, passwords, and emails transmitted over Wi-Fi networks. This vulnerability can also allow attackers to potentially infect your devices with malware or ransomware.
How to help protect your devices against KRACK
• Wi-Fi users should immediately update their Wi-Fi-enabled devices as soon as a software update is made available. Wi-Fi enabled devices are anything that connects to the Internet — from laptops, tablets, and smartphones to other smart devices such as wearables and home appliances.
• Only browse secure websites whose URL begins with HTTPS. HTTPS-enabled websites provides an extra layer of security by using encryption.
• HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Consider using a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN), to help protect your data against this new threat.
Note: Changing your Wi-Fi password will not prevent attacks.
I should say that Internet providers like BT and Virgin all have remote update procedures of their routers, so they are likely to roll out the required fix automatically. Smaller providers are not likely to do that but best to enquire about this with them.
The flaw and the theory behind the potential atack has been discovered literally days ago but as everything in the IT world it is likely to be exploited within a few weeks if not days from now on. Especially true to public locations and densely populated neighbourhoods where WiFi signals easily cross into other people's homes.
A serious new vulnerability called KRACK (Key Reinstallation Attacks) was announced recently, likely impacting anyone who uses Wi-Fi. All Wi-Fi connection points and devices could be vulnerable—your local coffee shop, home, or workplace connection.
KRACK can allow attackers access to important information like credit card numbers, passwords, and emails transmitted over Wi-Fi networks. This vulnerability can also allow attackers to potentially infect your devices with malware or ransomware.
How to help protect your devices against KRACK
• Wi-Fi users should immediately update their Wi-Fi-enabled devices as soon as a software update is made available. Wi-Fi enabled devices are anything that connects to the Internet — from laptops, tablets, and smartphones to other smart devices such as wearables and home appliances.
• Only browse secure websites whose URL begins with HTTPS. HTTPS-enabled websites provides an extra layer of security by using encryption.
• HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Consider using a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN), to help protect your data against this new threat.
Note: Changing your Wi-Fi password will not prevent attacks.
I should say that Internet providers like BT and Virgin all have remote update procedures of their routers, so they are likely to roll out the required fix automatically. Smaller providers are not likely to do that but best to enquire about this with them.
The flaw and the theory behind the potential atack has been discovered literally days ago but as everything in the IT world it is likely to be exploited within a few weeks if not days from now on. Especially true to public locations and densely populated neighbourhoods where WiFi signals easily cross into other people's homes.
