BT Home Hub Security Warning

[Scottish Business Owner]

A group of ethical hackers has warned that the BT Home Hub, the wireless router provided to BT Broadband customers, can easily be hacked if left to operate using its default settings.

GNUCitizen.org said that it had been reverse-engineering the BT Home Hub, which is made by a firm called Thomson, with independent security researcher Kevin Devine and found that algorithms used by the device were predictable enough for hackers to be able to crack.

Read the full article at http://www.webuser.co.uk/news/251626.html?aff=rss

 

[stugster]

"It's quite likely that the bad guys can break into your network if you're using the default encryption key. Our advice is: use WPA rather than WEP and change the default encryption key now," GNUCitizen said.


Now, who was it that was posting about this on the forums a few weeks back? I'm sure it was some stunning, intelligent, young bloke. Can't quite remember his name though!

 

[TomB]

I love that ethical hackers!!!!

Knowing how useless BT are it doesn't surprise me really.

I wonder if it applies to Bt Business Broadband Hubs as quite a few of my clients use that.

 

[Former Member 1]

Actually....

Finding a PM from has just reminded me of something...

If, as I do, you share your broadband connection with the rest of the household be careful. I'd given my daughter a note of the encryption key for our access point. This was to allow her to use some Nintendo thingy to interact with other Nintendo thingies. I also couldny be assed running a cable to her bedroom to connect her PC....

Some weeks ago I discovered mischief was afoot. Posts were being deleted from forums. People were posting mad things apparently using my accounts etc... Turned out my daughter had written the key down in the back of a jotter. Some of her schoofriends had got a hold of it and were entertaining themselves by hiding out in the field at the back of my house with a laptop..

The Nintendo's now banned, key is changed and there's a lump of Cat 5 snaking it's way under her carpet...

 

[stugster]

Solution: Set up the laptops/other network devices yourself Don't give it to anyone that doesn't need it. Remember, you only usually have to enter it once - after this, it will be saved for future use. So people who don't need to know it, shouldn't know it

 

[Former Member 1]

I think what you SHOULD have said Stuart was...

MATT! YOU PILLOCK!!!