A Response to the WPA2 Vulnerability

When you connect to a wireless network, it is common for that connection to be secured by encryption. On Monday 16th October 2017, some security researchers revealed a vulnerability in the way a secure connection is established. This vulnerability affects pretty much all manufacturers of both wireless access points and consumer devices.

What it means

The vulnerability means that someone with fairly advanced skills in cryptography and wireless technologies could intercept traffic between a device and an  access point. If someone was able to achieve this, the information passed over the wireless link could be read, unless it is otherwise protected.

However, we are comfortable that because of the way ASK4 implement its wireless service, our wireless access points are not vulnerable to the type of attack this vulnerability makes possible.

That said, some consumer devices may be vulnerable and need updating, so look out for operating system updates for your devices to ensure the security of all your wireless connections.

While this vulnerability has been identified and is being addressed by service and software providers, it is worth noting that any web traffic that passes through a secure application will remain encrypted and secure. For example, Office 365 products, all Google services (search, mail, drive, YouTube), Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, iPlayer, Netflix and other common web services all use secure servers - identified by https at the beginning of the URL and the padlock symbol in the URL field of your browser. This type of traffic is as secure today as it would be if this vulnerability did not exist.

Seeking Guidance

If you have any concerns, you may wish to have a chat with your preferred IT partner or you are welcome to contact your ASK4 Client Services Manager.

We will update you on the status of our access point software updates as soon as we are able.

Date: 17th October 2017