What is SSID?

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Level 4

1,610 points

What is SSID?

... and where do I find its settings with regard to my AE? We use an AE in business and have to meet certain security measures. I am trying to complete a self-assessment prior to being inspected. One questions reads as such: +Are SSID broadcasts disabled?+ This appears to refer to "service set identifier" and I do not know what or where it is. Your help is appreciated.

As a follow-up. Where might there be a list of settings that should be turned on/off to ceate the most secure network possible using an AE?

iMac 2 GHz Intel Core Duo, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Nov 6, 2008 8:28 AM

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Answer 1

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Duane

Level 10

124,267 points

Nov 6, 2008 8:32 AM in response to Donald

SSID == wireless network name.

Hiding the SSID is a fallacy. The SSID is still transmitted between any connected client and the base station. Therefore anyone can determine the SSID in a matter of seconds. This adds no security.

The best security for the wireless data is WPA2 wireless encryption with a long non-dictionary password.

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Answer 2

Nov 6, 2008 8:42 AM in response to Donald

If you go into the manual setup of the base station in the airport utility.

On the wireless tab, click on wireless options and click "Create a closed network" to not "broadcast" the SSID, but as the previous poster said it is still "broadcast" just hidden from your average prying eyes. Any smart hacker will find your SSID if they really want to.

As far as "What settings for the most secure network" are, all you "really" need is a good nice strong random pass code that is the doorway to a WPA encrypted network. Any other thing that you do like not broadcasting the SSID or using MAC filtering is just "fluff" and only gives you a false sense of security as these things are easily bypassed by a serious hacker. The real strength has to do with your password more than anything, long, non-dictionary, random, mixed case and numbers, symbols.

Now all that being said, did everyone see that WPA is now partially cracked?
http://www.pcworld.com/article/153396/.html?tk=rss_news

I think it's a little more sensationalized than it is... but well, all it takes is time.

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Answer 3

Duane

Level 10

124,267 points

Nov 6, 2008 8:53 AM in response to Stuart Vandeventer

That article has some odd statements. The one states:

They have not, however, managed to crack the encryption keys used to secure data that goes from the PC to the router in this particular attack

So I guess even though they cracked the TKIP part it isn't really a big deal?

It also states that:

A new wireless standard known as WPA2 is considered safe from the attack developed by Tews and Beck, but many WPA2 routers also support WPA.

WPA2 is what I suggest above. Not sure why the included the " ...but many WPA2 routers also support WPA" since it doesn't really seemly relevant.

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Answer 4

Nov 6, 2008 8:54 AM in response to Duane

Yeah the headline sounds a lot worse than the article itself when read.

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