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May 01 2005
Sony drops the ball on PSP's wireless?
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Now here's a major technical fumble of the kind you don't see every day: Sony launches the PSP worldwide, touting its 802.11b support, and only includes WEP support! As you know if you read our Wi-Fi blackpaper (or if you've been paying any attention at all to wireless news for the past few years), WEP is garbage. Someone clever commented in a Sony message board thread about this issue that WEP is so insecure and fast WEP-cracking utils are so widespread and easy to use, that it's almost like there's a Ron Popeil product out that'll do it for you.
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Comments
While I agree that WEP is terribly insecure, I don't really care if someone manages to decrypt my Twisted Metal packets and can tell I'm driving the clown van around paris. Once games try registering personal info over wifi, this does become an issue though.
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I'd agree. At first blush, WEP is fine for gaming. If games do eventually register, or if Sony does eventually release a browser (like the Korean Network Utilities UMD, *please-please*), then I'd like to see WPA to do online banking or personal emails.
It's not an issue... yet.
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I think the issue is not with someone "breaking in" to your PSP, but to your home wireless network. People don't want to open their home network to hackers just because the PSP only implemented WEP.
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Can a firmware update allow for WPA support?
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This is all pretty pointless Sony bashing - WEP is crackable, but as others point out, what 'oh so specially secure' are you protecting on WiFi at the moment? zip.. nothing.. and all the data packets are encrypted with Sonys own home gear anyway? So why even care whether WEP is crackable. I think its interesting to note, that alot of games use AdHoc mode anyway too - why wasnt this complained about (since its not even secured?).
Also, firmware updates can update the protocol stack - so other encryption schemes can be added at a later date anyway. Mind you, there doesnt appear to be any real reason to in any case? If PSP is sooo insecure.. why hasnt anyone managed to crack it yet? Wifi should be easy :-) .. decrypt the packets that say Namco send to run game sharing.. and away you go .. however.. this has been tried.. and failed.. imho.. I think PSP wifi is pretty secure..
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*sigh*... the point about encryption isn't so people can't hack your PSP. It's so people can't hack your computer. In order to connect your PSP currently, you need to downgrade your network's encryption method to WEP. Use your noggin.
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Erm. this under the assumption people are using PC's as routers and access points - which is very insecure anyway. And generally not recommended by most IT admins. People whom are worried about security would be running an access point (+router), which with vlans, firewalls and such segregates your network, and you can have it so your PC can still use WPA? Some of the older wireless routers arent so flexible..but most current ones (ones with WPA) have the options to do this. If you are using a wireless card in your pc as an access point, then you arent being secure anyway - the thing about this, means that the PSP isnt really forcing anyone to down grade their security, its more about people not setting up a secure network - which is a totally different issue. Espeically since PC (windows) and network security do not go together well anyway.edited: May 03 2005
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you could always turn on a MAC filter which would stop anyone from joining the network it that Computer isn't on the list off allowed Computers. I currently run WEP and Mac filter, seems pretty secure to me. Am I wrong?
Daniel Smith
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