Interesting email from Cox Communications

[gatesj at mailblocks.com (John K. Gates)]

I can't resist weighing in on this.

Securing your wireless access point or router is so incredibly 
important.  What if it wasn't just a copyrighted movie?  What if it was 
child porn or activity involving someone hacking with serious amounts of 
money involved (in the form of lost business productivity for some 
business, or otherwise)?

Wireless scares the heck out of me.  My WAP is locked down by MAC 
address, 128 bit keys, a non-broadcasted, non standard SSID, a strong 
non-default password, and a mounting point in the basement (creates a 
"funnel" effect coverage area, does not spread way out, someone would 
have to be in the house or right up next to it on the lawn at which 
point they might encounter the resident .44 mag).  And the only reason I 
have some confidence in it staying secure is that I live out in the 
middle of nowhere...

A software firewall and virus protectin is only part of the solution.  
It's the WAP that is probably the most important thing to protect.  
Authorities that are not especially computer savvy who see child porn 
going through your pipe are not going to be a fun thing.  You try 
explaining to someone like that that someone else pulled up at the curb 
and downloaded it!  It has happened, and more than once.

Later,

John Gates
--
'97 Jetta GLX
'85 Scirocco

Allyn wrote:

>Recommendations:
>Firewall: sygate personal firewall (the non-pro version is free):
>http://soho.sygate.com/free/default.php
>Anti spyware: microsoft antispyware (free): 
>http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx 
>
>Software firewall is vital to find programs on your own pc which may be
>unauthorized / and accessing the net.
>I've found the norton 2005 stuff lags systems too much to bear, even with
>auto-protect disabled.
>Also, lock down your router. You don't have to go crazy with access keys and
>encryption. I recommend mac authorization, allowing only the mac addresses of
>allowed systems to access your router.
>
>HTH
>Al
>
>  
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: scirocco-l-bounces+amalventano1=tds.net@scirocco.org 
>>[mailto:scirocco-l-bounces+amalventano1=tds.net@scirocco.org] 
>>On Behalf Of Chris Bennett
>>Sent: Saturday, October 22, 2005 12:05 PM
>>To: Scirocco List
>>Subject: Interesting email from Cox Communications
>>
>>Apparently I am some sort of software pirate.  Despite what 
>>reality is... I got "caught" for something I didn't do.
>>
>>I got a semi nasty email from Cox yesterday telling me to 
>>cease and desist immediately distributing a pirated movie 
>>called "the perfect score"  Apparently this copy is in 
>>spanish and it was tracked to my IP address.
>>    
>>