Apart from the fact Janus is almost like Anus this is a very cool project.
Seriously this is really geeky stuff, but super cool.
If you think seeing a dozen wireless networks makes your computer the ultimate scanning box, think again. A small security firm has made a portable computer that is capable of scanning 300 networks simultaneously. Dubbed the “Janus Project”, the computer also has a unique “Instant Off” switch that renders the captured data inaccessible.
The computer is the brain-child of Kyle Williams from the Janus Wireless Security Research Group in Portland, Oregon. We first spotted Williams sitting quietly and sipping Mountain Dew at the recently held Defcon security convention at the Riviera Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. While it appeared as if Williams wasn’t ver busy, the bright yellow Janus computer in front of him was scanning and capturing data from hundreds of wireless networks in range.
Sounds cool eh!
In addition to scanning for wireless traffic, Williams says the computer can break most WEP keys very quickly by focusing all eight wireless cards on the access point. Using a combination of common utilities like airreplay, airdump and aircrack, Willams said, “When I use all 8 radios to focus in on a single access point, [the WEP key] lasts less than five minutes.” However, he added that some retail wireless access points will “just die” after being hit with so much traffic.
In addition to the capturing process, the hard drive and memory contents are continuously encrypted with AES 256-bit keys. There is also an “Instant Off” switch that, according to Williams, renders the captured data inaccessible to anyone but him.
Source: TG Daily
To big.. but seems work. Some teq info..?
Is the scanning range within the a/b/g/n limits around the computer – or do the cards have aerial boosters attached also?
This is something I find of interest; those Q-link bridges for example, and having means of bouncing line-of-sight signals around – such devices are in many ways hidden in urban environments easily, where the most amount of wireless networks will be.
Looks like a very cool project.
Just though I’d point out the spelling error in “Williams wasn