Release The KRACK...en!

On Monday morning we all found out that WPA2, Wi-Fi’s most popular encryption standard had been cracked (or KRACKed, short for Key Reinstallation AttaCK) by some very clever Belgian security researchers. Which basically means that any device connected to Wi-Fi that uses WPA2 is at risk of being hacked!

Sounds worrying doesn’t it….

But, should we be concerned?

If your business is using secure VPN connections, then No. Your data will entirely safe even if the Wi-Fi is compromised. If your business is not, then please speak to us.

The main concern has always been around using public Wi-Fi, which in reality has never been completely safe. We are all aware of the threats around using public Wi-Fi and are fairly careful, for example keeping an eye out for the lock icon when buying online. The majority of public Wi-Fi offering venues where you will be logging onto Facebook or checking out online purchase prices etc do use encryption through their apps and Wi-Fi landing pages these days.

However home or corporate networks that may be secured using WPA2 encryption alone, could be targeted as the protection once offered by this security has now been compromised.

For anyone worried about being the subject of device hack/KRACK in a public Wi-Fi space, the likelihood is very slim in our opinion. The KRACKen (hacker) would need to be very close to you and your device, to capture the data from your device and the nearest compromised access point.

We will see plenty of scaremongering from media outlets etc in the coming weeks and months, but our advice would be to do a little light reading up from some online experts (plenty online) about your devices. Seek advice from IT professionals if you are concerned about your business or home network. Put in place some basic security measures, VPN’s, SSL, change SSID’s, up-to-date firmware on your devices. Our team of IT professionals are on hand to assist you with any measure you would like to put in place or discuss.

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