[identity profile] bornofchaos.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] techrecovery
*scratches head*

I have a question. It's to do with UK law, but any input would be appreciated.

Is it a legal requirement that the SSID be broadcast on all wireless networks. I've heard that the UK requires that all wireless networks be visible to the public, whether encrypted or not, but I've not had any occasion to worry about it until tonight. A customer wants to hide his SSID because he believes that he's being "hacked into". Now whether he is or not, he's as thick as two short planks, and he's not gonna be able to pick out his SSID when he's scanning for wireless networks, which will lead him to freak out and ring us, and nobodys gonna think to check the "Broadcast SSID" tick box, because nobodys come up against this issue before.

I told him that there was legal issues surrounding it and that my company advised him to keep it ticked, but that basically he could do what he liked, and he held all responsibility for the consequences.

I'm googling my nuts off right now, but do any of you have any comments/opinions on this?

Date: 2006-08-11 07:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ihateemo.livejournal.com
I can't for the life of me imagine why broadcasting your private wireless network's SSID would be a legal requirement. I never heard anything like that before I moved from the UK to Texas two-and-a-half years ago. I imagine if it was the law then there'd be a shit-ton of blog entries, articles on the Register and flame wars on Fark and Slashdot about it. :)

I do know that stealing your neighbour's wireless internet has become an arrestable offence (found by Googling "uk law broadcast ssid"), but that's about it.

Date: 2006-08-11 07:08 pm (UTC)
torkell: (Default)
From: [personal profile] torkell
IANAL but I would have thought it doesn't matter either way, because even if the network isn't broadcasting a SSID you can use programs like Netstumbler to find it.

Date: 2006-08-12 01:15 pm (UTC)

Date: 2006-08-13 08:05 pm (UTC)
torkell: (Default)
From: [personal profile] torkell
IANAL = I Am Not A Lawyer

Took me a while to figure that one out too.

Date: 2006-08-11 08:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bamatone.livejournal.com
Heh, definitely no law in the U.S. I have mine turned off, and recommend the same to everyone else.

Date: 2006-08-12 02:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jon787.livejournal.com
SSID cloaking is stupid, its not even a hurdle for breaking in. The SSID still has to be transmitted for certain 802.11 management frame types and its trivial to force the AP or your wireless client to transmit one. The only thing it does is remove the SSID from the broadcast "here I am!" frames.

Running on channel 14 is much better security. No one has touched my network since I did that.

Date: 2006-08-12 02:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bamatone.livejournal.com
It's not a hurdle for anyone who wants to break in and knows what they're doing.

Look, I'm not getting into this with you. I have a deadbolt on my front door but if someone really wants to come in, they'll break the sliding glass door in the back. It doesn't mean I'm not going to go ahead and lock the front door.

Date: 2006-08-12 07:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kayfox.livejournal.com
But it distracts people from suing much more secure methods, like WPA keys and such.

Date: 2006-08-12 07:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kayfox.livejournal.com
s/suing/using/

Date: 2006-08-12 05:40 am (UTC)
ext_8716: (Default)
From: [identity profile] trixtah.livejournal.com
Not unless it's a law that's been passed in the last couple of years. When I was working in London, everyone was busy disabling the SSIDs for their networks to try and discourage warchalking, especially in the city.

With your customer though, if someone is trying to hack into his network, disabling the SSID is going to do sweet F-A, unless they're a relatively ignorant person who's relying on Netstumbler. If they're determined, it's not going to help.

He's better off binding his MAC addresses to the router, and using proper WPA encryption (not WEP). Disabling the SSID is fine, but in this instance it might be like bolting the barn door after the horse has fled (if he was getting serious incursions).

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