Category: Security

A draft of IEEE's 802.11i spec to beef up security on 802.11 wireless networks was finalized January 21 and is now circulating within the engineering community for editing and subsequent approval, says Dennis Eaton, chair of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance. The first products to incorporate the technology should be available by summer, Eaton says....

Computer security expert Frank Keeney took me for an eye-opening ride around Pasadena, California. Frank brought along a notebook computer, equipped with a wireless PC Card and an antenna mounted on the car's roof. In a half hour of "war driving" (as he called it), we accessed over 40 wireless networks in homes, real estate...

This month, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California banned all wireless networks, including the most prevalent, Wi-Fi, from its grounds due to "security vulnerabilities," directors said in a newsletter. Other entities that handle sensitive data are implementing or considering similar bans. And airlines are coming under fire for using Wi-Fi in curbside baggage check-in systems....

Corporations across America are opening their doors to hackers when they set up wireless networks--or when their employees set them up behind their backs. Via [news.com.com]

It's a sight that would make any sales manager proud: your company's top sales rep is dutifully e-mailing detailed reports on the day's activities over a public wireless 802.11b network as he waits for his lunch across the street from the office. But would your sales manager be quite so happy if she knew the...

Wireless companies are enlisting in America's war on terrorism, and now that billions of dollars are available for "homeland security," officials are welcoming them into battle. Via [news.com.com]

The deployment of wireless networking systems is proceeding rapidly. Advancements in the technology and reduction in the cost of ownership have converged such that wireless systems are becoming a measurable part of the national information infrastructure. The growth in sales booked and sales projected indicate that it qualifies as a technology mega-trend. Along with their...

The threat of wireless hacking has been greatly exaggerated, according to a top security expert at Computer Associates. Via [software.silicon.com]

As the airline industry scrambles to meet a Jan. 18 deadline to screen every checked bag for explosives, security experts, analysts and government officials are raising serious concerns about the security of wireless technology that's integral to the effort. Via [computerworld.com]

Information Security magazine, a division of TruSecure Corp., yesterday revealed the results of a study of WLAN security that it published in its January, 2002 issue. The results were well in line with the industry's current hyperfocus on 802.11 security. Via [wi-fiplanet.com]

The security of wireless networks is getting a make-over in an attempt to secure them from drive-by hacking attacks. Via [news.bbc.co.uk]

Over the past year, much has been written about the vulnerabilities of 802.11b wireless LANs. Researchers from AT&T Labs, UC Berkeley, Intel, and University of Maryland have identified holes in Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) that let attackers learn the keys used to encrypt 802.11b traffic. Via [wi-fiplanet.com]

Companies that use wireless technology to allow workers to log into networks throughout offices have been warned they could be laying themselves open to hackers. Via [cnn.com]

Wireless networks are popular because they connect computers together without the need for running cables and drilling holes in walls. But they can be a headache for people responsible for computer security, sometimes bypassing expensive and carefully maintained firewalls. Via [news.bbc.co.uk]

Current authentication in the 802.11 standard is focused more on wireless LAN connectivity than on verifying user or station identity. For enterprise wireless security to scale to hundreds or thousands of users, the current method of authentication must be replaced by an authentication framework that supports centralized user authentication. Via [nwfusion.com]