"The weakest link" (was Re: FilePro running on Unix vs Windows)

[Brian K. White]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kenneth Brody" <kenbrody at bestweb.net>
To: "Dan Snyder" <dan at macdatatech.com>
Cc: "Filepro List" <filepro-list at lists.celestial.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 11:14 AM
Subject: "The weakest link" (was Re: FilePro running on Unix vs Windows)


> Dan Snyder wrote:
> [...]
>> > One thing that's changing is the number of worms that
>> > attack the Microsoft virus, Windows.  They've been
>> > steadily increasing in number and destructive power,
>> > at least if one counts the amount of spam sent through
>> > zombified Windows machines destructive.
>> This has nothing to do with Windows Server 2003 vs. UNIX.  Hackers target
>> the weakest link and that tends to change.  For example, most SPAM used 
>> to
>> come from poorly configured web server CGI's and mail servers (which were
>> UNIX based).  Admins and developers have since fixed those security 
>> holes,
>> so now the hackers target unpatched, unprotected client workstations that
>> have clueless owners/operators.
> [...]
>
> I think we can all agree on the "[cr]ackers target the weakest link" part.
> However, I think the "weakest link" lately has been the people running the
> computers, and not the actual software they're running.  (Though insecure
> software obviously plays a part.)  Nowadays, when even the most clueless
> person can set up a wireless broadband connection in under 30 minutes,
> there are plently of "targets" available.
>
> We just set up a wireless portion to our home LAN.  While reconfiguring 
> our
> laptops to use the wireless connection (as opposed to 
> unplugging/re-plugging
> network cables around the house), I discovered that one of our neighbors 
> has
> a wireless LAN with the default name "linksys" being broadcast to anyone
> who's listening.  I suppose it makes sense that the WAP needs to come from
> the factory wide open, so that it can be configured once you get it home
> without requiring a wired connection, but they could at least come with
> some warnings about what can happen if you don't close it up.

Worse, no one bothers to change their Ap to run on some other channel 
besides the universal default of 6.

It is correct for the default to be 6 on all AP's I guess since it's the 
exact center of the freq range which means it is the most perfectly tuned to 
the antenna. But it's a microscopic difference and I'd just as soon see the 
factory channel setting be randomized.

I every time I help a friend set up their AP, I see 3 neighbors all 
overlapping running on the same channel 6 and the performance on that 
channel is not surprizingly terrible.

Worse than that, When I use my little airport express in hotel rooms, I 
usually see 2 or 3 other AP's from other guests also running on channel 6, 
but in that case it's extra nasty because the hotels own $10/day wifi 
service is also running on channel 6, meaning if you wanted to pay for the 
wifi instead of the wired connection, you'd get a sucky connection because 
you can't just choose a free channel like you can with your own access 
point. Ideally, it'd be nice to pay for the wifi instead of the wired since 
then you get coverage all over the hotel instead of just in your room.

Brian K. White  --  brian at aljex.com  --  http://www.aljex.com/bkw/
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