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I recently connected up a wireless router to my comp and a neighbor has told me
he was picking it up.He says he could tell another neighbor was connecting to
it (by name).I of course immediatley with help installed a password and put on
the routers firewall which I had off though I run ZA.

What I need to know is just how much would someone on another connection off my
modem/router be able to read my files.I'm especially concerned as I had some
word docs in my document folder which are sensitive and my bank details though
no numbers.

What is the likelihood?

Its a DLink wireless G642T

nigel


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On Tue, 16 Jan 2007 07:54:01 -0500, nigel <> wrote:

> I recently connected up a wireless router to my comp and a neighbor has
> told me
> he was picking it up.He says he could tell another neighbor was
> connecting to
> it (by name).I of course immediatley with help installed a password and
> put on
> the routers firewall which I had off though I run ZA.
>
> What I need to know is just how much would someone on another connection
> off my
> modem/router be able to read my files.

If they are skillful, and if you have a Trojan or an OS vulnerable to UDP
traffic, or UDP-responsive file sharing enabled without password, they can
get by ZA and into your files.

If your mail is POP/SMTP (unencrypted), someone with a sniffer could read
your mail. Better to use POPS/SMTPS (better still is PGP/GPG POPS/SMTPS)

Who would want to spend the effort to do this? Some 14-yr old kid (with a
spoofed MAC), practicing his stuff or earning bragging rights.

I'm especially concerned as I had
> some
> word docs in my document folder which are sensitive and my bank details
> though
> no numbers.
>
> What is the likelihood?

Depends upon your neighborhood. But I'd guess quite unlikely that they got
into the box, given the timeframe. Mail sniffing is more likely.

Wireless (i.e. LAN) attacks have all the potential of WAN attacks, plus
arp tricks. Wireless-specific exploit toolkits and tutorials are the
scriptkiddie rage. Spoofing a MAC is easy, makes the kid hard to find,
thereby emboldening them.

IIWU, I'd make sure that there are no unnecessary services active; assure
that my box is free of Trojans; assure that all of my passwords are
robust; encrypt all sensitive data on my box; and use encryption on the
wireless. WEP is slightly better than nothing; WPA is much better.

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> UDP traffic, or UDP-responsive file sharing enabled without password,
> they can get by ZA and into your files.

I need to reconsider this..... ZA ought to be able to block legitimate (MS
stack) UDP traffic

--
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detected driver tilt-bit changes and Linux VM activity. HD scan in
progress to consolidate and transmit driver, system and kernel logs;
document and report disallowed activities and unapproved content.
Revocation clause has been invoked. Submit an explanation, and request an
application for a probationary key to reactivate MS's software at
1-425-4.#..8@
..

nigel wrote:

> I recently connected up a wireless router to my comp and a neighbor has told me
> he was picking it up.He says he could tell another neighbor was connecting to
> it (by name).I of course immediatley with help installed a password and put on
> the routers firewall which I had off though I run ZA.
>
> What I need to know is just how much would someone on another connection off my
> modem/router be able to read my files.

By exploiting ZoneAlarm? By inserting malicious software into the
wirelessly transferred data?

> I'm especially concerned as I had some
> word docs in my document folder which are sensitive and my bank details though
> no numbers.

Or by exploiting Word with a Word document.

> What is the likelihood?

Well, depends on if you actually deployed strong encryption (WPA, WPAv2,
IEEE 802.11i, IPsec, ...) on your router. If the traffic is encrypted, it
should be way harder to attack ZoneAlarm.

I wonder: Shouldn't it be better to simply uninstall ZoneAlarm?

"Roger Parks" <> wrote:
>
>> UDP traffic, or UDP-responsive file sharing enabled without password,
>> they can get by ZA and into your files.
>
>I need to reconsider this..... ZA ought to be able to block legitimate (MS
>stack) UDP traffic
>
>--
>Vista EULA 4.7: TCPA / RIAA / NGSCP/ AACS / WGA VIOLATION. Palladium
>detected driver tilt-bit changes and Linux VM activity. HD scan in
>progress to consolidate and transmit driver, system and kernel logs;
>document and report disallowed activities and unapproved content.
>Revocation clause has been invoked. Submit an explanation, and request an
>application for a probationary key to reactivate MS's software at
>1-425-4.#..8@
>.
----------
The main reason I had turned my router firewall off was I thought it was
causing freezes on my antiquated W98SE system.However since reactivating it has
been fine.I was using the ZA on medium settings but have since put all to
highest.It seems to be working fine with both and I suspect just maybe that
before without the wireless passworded the scum bag locally whoever it was, was
using my internet and causing the problem.
The one thing I am considering is to use some software for encyption of files.I
did try one years ago which was free but suspect it had adware on it.Can you or
the other guys on this forum suggest such software that I can d/l free which
isn't containing adware or the likes?Preferably a small program as my pooter
isn't bulging with ram.If need be I would buy one.Cos I don't like the thought
of people reading my files.

Anyway thanks for your advise and to sebastian and his.

nigel








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On Wed, 17 Jan 2007 13:02:29 -0500, nigel <> wrote:

> ----------
> The main reason I had turned my router firewall off was I thought it was
> causing freezes on my antiquated W98SE system.However since reactivating
> it has
> been fine.

W98SE? You're using that wirelessly?

If by any chance, you have an old box connected by cable to a new wireless
router, then configure the router to disable the wireless mode...... use
the wired (ethernet) mode only.


> I was using the ZA on medium settings but have since put all to
> highest.It seems to be working fine with both and I suspect just maybe
> that
> before without the wireless passworded the scum bag locally whoever it
> was, was
> using my internet and causing the problem.

Sadly, you also need to consider the possibility that your wifi is being
used to download porn, or distribute SPAM.

This, again, argues for encryption.

I presume (hope) that you've changed the administrative password for the
router; that you've disabled the telnet access (if any); and that browser
access is https only.

> The one thing I am considering is to use some software for encyption of
> files.I
> did try one years ago which was free but suspect it had adware on it.Can
> you or
> the other guys on this forum suggest such software that I can d/l free
> which
> isn't containing adware or the likes?Preferably a small program as my
> pooter
> isn't bulging with ram.If need be I would buy one.Cos I don't like the
> thought
> of people reading my files.

I must defer to Sebastian for his recommendation(s). It has been over two
years since I looked at such tools for windows.

(FWIW, I'd ask him for both a secured password manager that allows
drag/drop of info., and an OTFE package. Each should be freeware, and work
on W98SE.)

--
Vista EULA 4.7: TCPA / RIAA / NGSCP/ AACS / WGA VIOLATION. Palladium
detected driver tilt-bit changes and Linux VM activity. HD scan in
progress to consolidate and transmit driver, system and kernel logs;
document and report disallowed activities and unapproved content.
Revocation clause has been invoked. Submit an explanation, and request an
application for a probationary key to reactivate MS's software at
1-425-4.#..8@
..