German Crackers Pry Open WPA Encryption

By Nick Mokey November 10, 2008

German Crackers Pry Open WPA Encryption

If you think your home wireless network is all locked down just because you’ve added WPA encryption, it may be time to lock the doors, dig out those old Ethernet cables, and start wiring up the house. This week, a team of researchers will unveil a method for bypassing the popular WPA-TKIP encryption standard, along with a tool for doing it.

The duo from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany will unleash their crack at this week’s PacSec security conference in Tokyo. The team has already detailed the exploit though, in a paper entitled Practical attacks against WEP and WPA [PDF], which they released through the group Aircrack-ng. In it, they detail a method for gaining access to the flow of data from router to PC, allowing hackers to potentially slide their own packets of data into a stream and pass them off as coming from a router. Though it allows third parties to toy with the data flow in a network, it isn’t a “key recovery” technique, meaning it doesn’t open up full access to a network the way actually knowing the proper key does.

Home WPA-TKIP users worried about their privacy can transition to either the stronger WPA-AES encryption, or WPA2.

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Smart Home

Without a firewall, the door to your smart home is left wide open

smart home defense against hackers photo of person typing on computer keyboard 735911

Walk around your average suburban neighborhood at 10 p.m., and most homes will appear downright sleepy: Doors locked, blinds closed, maybe the glow of a TV in the window. But if you were somehow able to wear glasses that could show radio waves, you'd be shocked at the buzz within. Robot vacuums, smart lights, wireless security cameras, and smart speakers are just a few of the many connected gadgets introduced to homes over the last decade, permeating them with their invisible Wi-Fi and other radio signals.

And with every connected gadget you add, the risk of being hacked becomes greater.

Smart Home

Wayzn sliding glass door opener can let pets out when you’re not home

open sliding doors remotely with wayzn glass door opener

There are connected accessories for most every entryway in your home. Smart locks unlock both internal and external doors, while smart garage door openers make pulling your car in easier. Until recently, however, sliding glass doors had not connected with the smart home market.
Wayzn used CES 2020 to announce its connected sliding glass door opener, a device that can automatically open and close the sliding glass doors in your home. It’s an ideal solution for letting a pet out to use the bathroom when you're not home or for letting guests in through a back entrance. According to Wayzn, customers will soon be able to purchase a sensor that attaches to their pet's collar. When your four-legged friend approaches the door, it will open automatically to let them take care of business.
The sliding glass door opener has an elegant design that looks significantly better than a pet door. It uses adhesive pads to attach to either side of the frame, and when you aren’t using the sliding glass door opener, the moving arm can be lifted up and out of the way with ease. It’s also totally DIY, so you won’t need to shell out for professional installation. Wayzn says the sliding glass door opener is compatible with all 5-, 6-, and 8-foot, two-panel sliding glass doors.

The sliding glass door opener has built-in resistance detection that triggers the auto-open function. This means there’s no need to worry about a pet or a small child getting wedged in the door while it's closing.
The door can be opened via a motion sensor, through a smart speaker, or through the Wayzn mobile app. Other features are on the way, including a collar-mounted sensor that tells the door to automatically open when your pet walks up to it. Users can also schedule specific times for the Wayzn to activate and control it from anywhere if guests show up.
If you’re interested, you can sign up to reserve the Wayzn sliding glass door opener now. The initial retail price is $400. While not the most affordable smart home device on the market, it’s less expensive than installing a pet door and more secure than using an insert. The initial release will have limited supplies as the company ramps up production. The Wayzn sliding glass door opener received the CES 2020 Smart Home Division Mark of Excellence for its innovative function and attractive design.

News

See visitors and open your front gate with the Ring Access Controller Pro

ring access controller pro

CES 2020 is in full swing, and that means product announcements -- lots and lots of product announcements. Ring has joined the fray with six new products, including its first-ever access control product, the Ring Access Controller Pro. The Access Controller Pro is Ring’s first entry in this area and allows users to not only view who is at their gates but also open the gate remotely. The device can be paired with Key by Amazon to take packages securely inside the gate. The downside to this device is that it isn’t a DIY setup. You’ll have to shell out for professional installation.

The next big announcement from Ring is the Ring Smart LED bulbs. Not only are these Ring’s first-ever smart lights, but they are also weather-resistant and designed for use outdoors. The Ring smart lights are available as both A19 bulbs and PAR38 bulbs. Users can control their smart lights from anywhere via their mobile devices, adjust the brightness, and schedule specific times for the lights to come on.
Continuing the trend of lighting announcements, Ring is also introducing three solar-powered lights. The first is the Ring Solar Floodlight, a motion-activated light perfect for entryways and driveways. It puts out 1,300 lumens and has a 45-foot motion detection range. The next is the Ring Solar Steplight. The Steplight is best used to light up steps, porches, and decks. Users can connect it to the Ring Bridge to gain more specific control over the light.
The final solar-powered light is the Ring Solar Pathlight. This motion-activated light is intended for use along pathways and driveways to create an easy-to-see path. It can also be connected to the Ring Bridge to control the brightness, set schedules, and control motion sensitivity.
If you’re interested in any of the new Ring smart lights, they will be available for purchase on April 1, 2020. The Ring Access Controller is available now for $300, although you can snag it in a bundle with the Stick Up Cam Battery for $390 on Amazon.
Ring wants to expand beyond doorbells to provide whole-home security. Ring's track record of late with privacy and security hasn't been the best, especially in light of the recent hacks and collaborations with local police authorities, which is why the company is also introducing Control Center -- a new dashboard in the Ring app where users can manage their privacy and security settings. This makes it so that these settings are in plain view for users, rather than being hidden in some of the app's menu settings. Ring plans to enhance and improve Control Center over time, so users will be informed into how their data is kept secure and private.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated how the function of the Control Center dashboard. It’s used to control privacy and security settings.