Paranoid about protecting my MAC address--Please read my story
Current threats, Viruses, worms, Hacking, Spyware, Trojans, backdoors, human factors, Network security, Firewalls, VPN, Intrusion management, Incident response, Forensics, Wireless, Platform Security, vulnerability management, patching, configuration, PEN testing, Web security, access control, Browsers, SSL/TLS, filtering, Servers
What is the easiest way to protect your MAC address against spoofing? In 2004 I was the victim of a hacker that somehow spoofed my Cable Modem Mac address and used it to cover his identity while serving copyright material thru the internet. I was unsuspecting until my ISP one day suspended my service. I thought it was a normal outage but when I called my ISP I was transfered to their Security Dept. who said they would be sending papers explaining the situation. Some days latter I received an envelope from the Security Department of my ISP detailing the films that this hacker was serving thru the internet using my IP number and MAC address and warning me to desist. This experience was really scary and frustrating because my only defense was that the times the hacker was logging with my identity I was at my workplace away from my home computer which was the one connected to the spoofed Cable Modem but still not a strong enough defense.
After arguing with the Security Dept. and not getting anybody to sympathize with me, even though I was only getting a warning I decided I couldn't use the high speed internet (the only choice in my area) and make myself a victim of the hacker so I wrote a letter detailing my ordeal to the Security Dept. naming the people I have talked to and detailing my story and how I was being forced out of their high speed internet service because of another person impersonating me thru my MAC and IP address. I closed my account and had to get back to dial up service.
After a year I got brave enough to reopen my account but this time I rented a modem from the ISP so I didn't loose my money if somebody spoofed my equipment again. I have been almost three years and the experience hasn't been repeated. Now I have installed a wireless network at my home in order to connect my daughter's computer to the internet. I've been reading about how to secure it but my previous experience has got me a bit paranoid, specially with the higher vulnerability of Wireless networks.
What would be the best way to protect my MAC address against spoofing? If a person could do it when it was only one wired computer connected with a cable to the Cable Modem how easier it might be now that I have a wireless network? My brother in law says not to worry, that a bolt of lightning doesn't falls twice on the same spot but I can't help to feel very paranoid.
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