A new way to attack wireless networks underscores the lack of security for PC owners using the airwaves to connect their computers, said security experts speaking at the Black Hat Briefings conference. On Thursday, Tim Newsham, a researcher for security firm @Stake, presented the details of weaknesses in the password system of wireless networks that could lead to a break in security in less than 30 seconds. The flaw is the third to be uncovered in the so-called Wired Equivalent Privacy, or WEP, protocol that supposedly secures wireless networks.
Newer 128-bit wireless LAN (local area network) cards are fairly strong. But poorly chosen passwords can still be cracked with an old technique known as a dictionary attack: Using a list of common passwords and a dictionary of words, the potential intruder can try various combinations until the password is broken.
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