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This is obviously an issue with Google Glass, but MAC address filtering is a waste of time. It offers absolutely no protection against a determined adversary.

This is obviously an issue with Google Glass, but MAC address filtering is a waste of time. It offers absolutely no protection against a determined adversary. It is a perfect example of security theater.

kefka 12y ago
You're assuming that it is the only defense. It isn't. We look at security as one would look at an onion.
- lfowles 12y ago
  It makes you cry when you chop it wrong? Brittle outer layers?
- rdtsc 12y ago
  OP is right though. As far as the onion is concerned you better add more characters to the security pass-phrase, also make sure WPS is disabled on all routers etc. Once someone has determined to break in, even minimally sophisticated they will spoof the mac address. It is good that you want to add extra security, but even as your story shows it just creates confusion, and make using the system harder.
  - kefka 12y ago
    Those decisions come the people in the glass room in the security office. Not much I can do to change global security policy.
    - rdtsc 12y ago
      I understand, it was more of a comment in general, or maybe the glass room people would stop by and read too ;-)
abhigupta 12y ago
Do you also never use Padlock or Combination Lock or basic door lock because they also offer "no protection against a determined adversary" ?
- snowwrestler 12y ago
  Using MAC address filtering on unsecured WiFi is literally like locking your door and then hanging the key on a nice hook outside the door, where anyone can grab it.
drivingmenuts 12y ago
The larger point is that if a device is going to work with multiple unknown future security systems (theater or not) it needs to be convenient to do so. Expecting me to change my security to suit your needs is the height of hubris, when your device is not a necessity.
- nothrabannosir 12y ago
  Nobody is expecting you to change anything. He agrees: your story highlights a problem with GG. But mac filtering is a pet peeve for many of us. It is worth mentioning, as often as necessary: it's bollocks. Don't do it. Let everyone know that it's useless. Read that post as if prefaced with: "On a tangent: ..."
motoboi 12y ago
Please remember that with, say, a macbook, one can easily monitor traffic between your access points and authorized clients of your wireless network. From that, is simple to extract the mac address of an authorized client, configure your macbook wireless card with that mac address and join your unencrypted network. This is why mac filtering is useless on wifi networks.

kefka 12y ago

You're assuming that it is the only defense. It isn't. We look at security as one would look at an onion.

lfowles 12y ago
It makes you cry when you chop it wrong? Brittle outer layers?
rdtsc 12y ago
OP is right though. As far as the onion is concerned you better add more characters to the security pass-phrase, also make sure WPS is disabled on all routers etc. Once someone has determined to break in, even minimally sophisticated they will spoof the mac address. It is good that you want to add extra security, but even as your story shows it just creates confusion, and make using the system harder.
- kefka 12y ago
  Those decisions come the people in the glass room in the security office. Not much I can do to change global security policy.
  - rdtsc 12y ago
    I understand, it was more of a comment in general, or maybe the glass room people would stop by and read too ;-)

abhigupta 12y ago

Do you also never use Padlock or Combination Lock or basic door lock because they also offer "no protection against a determined adversary" ?

snowwrestler 12y ago
Using MAC address filtering on unsecured WiFi is literally like locking your door and then hanging the key on a nice hook outside the door, where anyone can grab it.

drivingmenuts 12y ago

The larger point is that if a device is going to work with multiple unknown future security systems (theater or not) it needs to be convenient to do so. Expecting me to change my security to suit your needs is the height of hubris, when your device is not a necessity.

nothrabannosir 12y ago
Nobody is expecting you to change anything. He agrees: your story highlights a problem with GG. But mac filtering is a pet peeve for many of us. It is worth mentioning, as often as necessary: it's bollocks. Don't do it. Let everyone know that it's useless. Read that post as if prefaced with: "On a tangent: ..."

motoboi 12y ago

Please remember that with, say, a macbook, one can easily monitor traffic between your access points and authorized clients of your wireless network. From that, is simple to extract the mac address of an authorized client, configure your macbook wireless card with that mac address and join your unencrypted network. This is why mac filtering is useless on wifi networks.