Idea #10985: Warn the user if he is connected to an unencrypted WLAN

Written by Thorsten Sick the 10 Jul 08 at 16:35. Category: Security.
Related to: Network Manager. Status: New

Description

If the user is connected to an unencrypted wireless network or the encryption is weak (WEP), display either a warning symbol on the network icon or display a warning message (popup/slidein).
Make this information available using dbus for other applications(online banking).Using this information they can stop the user from doing anything dangerous like banking over an unencrypted and open connection.

Tags: WLAN

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Comments

Eldmannen wrote on the 10 Jul 08 at 18:31

I agree. Good idea.

droetker (Moderator) wrote on the 10 Jul 08 at 19:00

eh - does not the Networkmanager applet have different icons for unencrypted, WEP and WPA?

Hawke wrote on the 10 Jul 08 at 21:46

If your online banking is not encrypted by SSL, then the lack of encrypted wireless should be the least of your worries. And if it is, then it's perfectly safe to do over unencrypted wireless anyway. -1

Vadim P. wrote on the 11 Jul 08 at 13:57

-1, as the above posted said won't help and warnings are always such an annoying thing.

Eldmannen wrote on the 11 Jul 08 at 14:15

Hawke,
Well this is not only about internet banking.
This is about reading e-mail, chatting with friends, etc too.

chipbennett wrote on the 11 Jul 08 at 15:30

+1

I think an icon indication (using the Network Manager icon) of the security (or lack thereof) for the WiFi network to which one is connected is a great idea:

WPA (etc.) - A green icon/symbol
WEP (etc.) - A yellow icon/symbol
Open/Ad-Hoc - A red icon/symbol

Or something along those lines

Hawke wrote on the 11 Jul 08 at 15:37

Everything that applies to insecure WLAN applies to a plain ethernet connection. Email w/o ssl, chat clients without ssl (does anything even do that still?), etc.

If you don't have SSL, you're vulnerable. The extra wrapper of WPA or (especially) WEP is not going to help.

I do agree that an icon indication (with tooltip) would be a good idea. A warning popup and dbus notification is too much though.

chipbennett wrote on the 11 Jul 08 at 16:34

@Hawke:

I think the intent of this idea is to address exposure of security within the local WAN.

Granted, a user cannot control security past the W/LAN router/modem; however, this idea would at least let the user know that the WAN isn't secure.

Most WiFi users aren't security-conscious; they don't listen to SecurityNow!

They only care that their wifi connection works, and don't realize that the person sitting next to them at the airport, in the coffee shop, or in the hotel lobby can easily sniff their packets.

(That the ethernet connection in the hotel room is equally insecure is another matter entirely.)

Hawke wrote on the 11 Jul 08 at 16:58

Agreed, I just think it's a mistake to give a false sense of security.

mickvdv wrote on the 13 Jul 08 at 17:57

-1. Those messages are very irritating!!!

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