If you’re in the market for a new WiFi router, there’s one thing that you should make sure it comes with, which is WPA3 support. WPA3 is the successor to the WPA2 security standard that we’ve used for the last few years on routers. It’s decent, but it does have weaknesses:
- An attacker can capture an encrypted data stream from your router and then carry out an offline dictionary attack. That can allow them to break into your router later once they figure out what the password is.
- If someone carries out the above attack, they will be able to decrypt the data they already hold.
WPA3 which the WiFi Alliance has officially started certifying, addresses these issues and offers these enhancements:
- A more robust password-based authentication system that reduces the chances of a hacker guessing your password.
- Individualized data encryption to protect against Wi-Fi eavesdropping
- The ability to protect data traffic even if a password is compromised after the data was transmitted.
- 192-bit minimum-strength security protocols
- A quick-setup option for devices
Devices with WPA3 will be backwards compatible with WPA2 so it won’t break your existing devices. It will be rolling out to new devices this year. If you’re in the market for a WiFi router, future proof yourself by making sure it is WPA3 compatible.
Have I Been Pwned Teams Up With Mozilla To Ensure That You Don’t Get Pwned
Posted in Commentary with tags Firefox on June 26, 2018 by itnerdComing to a future version of Firefox is Firefox Monitor which is a service that is powered by the famous Have I Been Pwned Service. The tool will allow Firefox users to enter an email address to see if their account was part of a known breach. If so, Firefox Monitor will let them know the extent of the personal data exposed, and serve up recommendations on how to secure their account. The service will go into trials next week and then roll it out to everyone if the trial is successful. Watch this space for more details.
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