Verizon Admits Default DSL and FiOS Wireless Security is Insufficient
Verizon's default wireless security for subscribers to its FiOS Internet and DSL High Speed Internet service has been shown to include several critical security flaws and weaknesses that Verizon phone support agents do not disclose to its customers. These weaknesses are exacerbated by poor training and installation practices that leave users vulnerable to network infiltration, identity theft and data loss.
By default, the wireless routers Verizon provides to its FiOS Internet and DSL High Speed Internet customers have Wi-Fi enabled and utilize the WEP encryption specification, which has been unsecure since 2001 when it was first compromised. As Open Media Boston has previously reported, the free open source application Aircrack-ng can crack WEP encrypted networks in just a few minutes. Because of this, almost all modern wireless devices support the encryption specifications WPA and WPA2.
Due to its compromise, WEP encryption will not prevent an attacker from joining a wireless network. Aircrack-ptw co-author Ralf-Philipp Wienmann has stated, "WEP as a security measure is so broken that your (and everyone else's) kid sister can easily circumvent it" using a cracking tool.
