KRACK Attack: How safe is your WiFi connection?

A disturbing flaw in Wi-Fi networks has allowed for hackers to eavesdrop on data being passed through most modern Wi-Fi networks. This means that any device, from laptops and mobile phones to games consoles and tablets, could all be vulnerable to hacking with credit card numbers, passwords, chat messages and emails all potentially under threat.

Known as a key reinstallation attack or KRACK for short, this newly discovered flaw was unearthed by Marty Vanhoef, a Belgian researcher. What’s more, the researcher claims that the problem is not limited to any one device or operating system and instead is an issue with Wi-Fi as a whole.

The solution to KRACK vulnerabilities is to install updates which are currently being rolled out by Microsoft, Apple, Android, Google and other main players of the tech industry. Whereas with other security flaws the advice has been to update passwords, this alone won’t make much difference as it is the connection between a device and the Wi-Fi network which has been compromised.

Businesses who are concerned about the vulnerability of their Wi-Fi should contact their IT support service to be kept up to date with the latest patches and updates. Once vulnerabilities have been fixed in their own systems they should practice greater caution when out of the office and using public Wi-Fi. The expected consumption of the KRACK vulnerability fix is expected to be only around 30-50% - which means that many of the Wi-Fi networks you access – particularly those who are unlikely to have their own IT department - could be vulnerable to eavesdropping.

Here at ECL we have extensive experience in protecting businesses against the latest malware, computer hacks, viruses, spam, phishing scams and other threats and can advise you on the best methods of protecting your business. We can also help businesses to update their systems to run the latest and most secure version of Windows available. For more information please, please call us on 01268 575300 or email us on info@ecl.co.uk.