The new custom router firmware will allow users to share their wireless networks, but could also improve their router's security

Advocacy group the Electronic Frontier Foundation wants to address the poor security track record of home routers with a new firmware project that will encourage users to share their Internet connection publicly by setting up guest Wi-Fi networks.

The first experimental version of the firmware, called the Open Wireless Router was released Sunday and is mainly aimed at developers and hackers who can assist with finding bugs and improving the software overall.

The project's main goals are focused on allowing router owners to securely set up public Wi-Fi networks for passers-by to use, which the EFF and other organizations argue helps conserve radio spectrum, benefits business and economic development and can spark innovation. However, some of the firmware's other planned features could also improve the overall security of routers that run it, even if their owners don't decide to share their Internet bandwidth with strangers.

"Most or all existing router software is full of XSS [cross-site scripting] and CSRF [cross-site request forgery] vulnerabilities, and we want to change that," the EFF said Sunday in a blog post.

While this is generally true, the XSS and CSRF flaws, which allow attackers to hijack authenticated sessions, are actually among the least critical flaws commonly found in routers.

Over the years security researchers found vulnerabilities in routers that would have given attackers full control over many devices from a large number of manufacturers. The issues found included backdoor-like features and hard-coded credentials, traditional buffer overflows and command injection vulnerabilities in the Web-based administrative interfaces or even implementation errors in third-party components like UPnP libraries.

The overall consensus among security researchers is that from a security perspective the code maturity in the home router world is very poor. Adding to that problem is the fact that few router vendors publish detailed security advisories and that updating the firmware is usually a process that requires manual intervention and technical knowledge from users.

The Open Wireless Router firmware will have an automatic update mechanism that will work over HTTPS and will use digital signatures to prevent upstream tampering with the updates, the EFF said. "Firmware signatures and metadata are fetched via Tor to make targeted update attacks very difficult."

Security researchers also pointed out in the past that many vendors don't have dedicated security programs in place for properly handling the security vulnerabilities reported to them. Giving the EFF's history of working with and supporting security researchers it's likely the organization already knows how to deal with such reports.

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Open Wireless Router firmware aims for better router security, network performance

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Home security specialist PhoneWatch has created 15 fresh jobs by opening a new office in Kilkenny, its first outside of Dublin.

The opening marks the first step in a wider expansion plan, first announced in April, which will see the former Eircom-owned company spread its office network across the country, with new hubs due in Cork and up to 10 other regional centres.

The companys monitored alarm systems are installed in more than 100,000 homes and businesses across Ireland.

It employs around 200 and has plans to create a further 230 positions, mainly in engineering, sales and operational roles.

PhoneWatch, formerly Eircom PhoneWatch, was acquired for more than 100m by Norwegian company Sector Alarm Corporation last year, with Eircom deeming it a non-core unit.

Yesterday, PhoneWatch sales director Jonathan Bunce said Kilkenny will be an excellent location for the company and will act as a hub for the south-east.

Ashling Delaney, newly- appointed sales manager for the Kilkenny office, added: We expect to create up to 15 new jobs, mostly in the sales field, and will serve households all over Kilkenny and surrounding areas.

We will make it easy for new customers to become part of PhoneWatch, with our sales teams calling to their homes to discuss their needs.

Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved

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Opening of PhoneWatch office creates 15 jobs

Dear Liz: My wife and I accrued $28,000 of credit card debt over the past eight years. In addition to a sizable student loan bill for law school, our home mortgage and the expenses associated with three young children, we are struggling to get ahead enough to knock our credit card debt down. While we make good income between the two of us, it would seem not enough to pay more than the minimum on our debts. We have curbed a number of our bad habits (we eat out less, take lunch to work, say no to relatives) but the savings are not translating to lowered debt. Our 401(k)s are holding steady and we continue to contribute and I don't want to touch those (I did when I was younger and regret it.). We've been considering taking out a home equity line of credit to pay off the cards and reduce the interest rate. Of course we have to be disciplined enough to not go out and create more debt, but I think my wife got the picture when I said no family vacations for the next few years. What are your thoughts?

Answer: You say, "Of course we have to be disciplined enough to not go out and create more debt," but that's exactly what many families do after they've used home equity borrowing to pay off their cards. They wind up deeper in the hole, plus they've put their home at risk to pay off debt that otherwise might be erased in Bankruptcy Court.

Bankruptcy probably isn't in the cards for you, of course, given your resources. But before you use home equity to refinance this debt, you need to fix the problems that caused you to live so far beyond your means.

You've plugged some of the obvious leaks eating out and mooching relatives but you may be able to reduce other expenses, including your grocery and utility bills. If those smaller fixes don't free up enough cash to start paying down the debt, the next places to look are at your big-ticket expenses: your home, your cars and your student loans. There may not be much you can do about the latter, although you should explore your options for consolidating and refinancing this debt. That leaves your home and your cars. If your payments on these two expenses are eating up more than about 35% of your income, then you should consider downsizing.

What you don't want to do is to tap your retirement funds or reduce your contributions below the level that gets the full company match. Retirement needs to remain your top financial priority.

Reducing your lifestyle may not be appealing, but it's better to sacrifice now while you're younger than to wind up old and broke.

Marriage won't reduce Social Security check

Dear Liz: Each year, I track my estimated Social Security benefit on the SSA.gov website. At full retirement age of 67, my estimated benefit is $1,504. Is it true that my actual benefit may be reduced by 50% since I am married?

Answer: Good heavens, no.

If you're married, your spouse may be entitled to a benefit that equals up to half of your check. But your check is not reduced to provide this spousal benefit. Instead, the Social Security Administration typically would calculate the benefit your spouse earned on his own, compare that to his spousal benefit, and then give him the larger of the two amounts.

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