Wi-fi
Wi-fi
Wi-Fi (also WiFi, Wi-fi, Wifi, or wifi) is a brand licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to products which pass testing demonstrating that they implement a set of product compatibility standards for wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications. New standards beyond the 802.11 specifications, such as 802.16 (WiMAX), are currently in the works and offer many enhancements, anywhere from longer range to greater transfer speeds.
Wi-Fi was intended to be used for mobile devices and LANs, but is now often used for Internet access. It enables a person with a wireless-enabled computer or personal digital assistant (PDA) to connect to the Internet when in proximity of an access point. The geographical region covered by one or several access points is called a hotspot.
Certified products can use the official Wi-Fi logo, which indicates that the product is interoperable with any other product also showing the logo.
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Wi-fi Related Products
AirMagnet Handheld Analyzer is the industry's choice for a light-weight and small form-factor (pocket PC based) analyzer for auditing and troubleshooting of enterprise WiFi networks.
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Anytime, Anywhere, WLAN Monitoring and Troubleshooting. AirMagnet's WiFi Analyzer is the industry's most popular mobile field tool for troubleshooting enterprise Wi-Fi networks. WiFi Analyzer helps IT staff make sense of end-user complaints to quickly resolve performance problems, while automatically detecting security threats and other network vulnerabilities. Although compact, WiFi Analyzer has many of the feature-rich qualities of a dedicated, policy-driven wireless LAN monitoring system.
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AirMagnet Survey delivers fast, scientifically accurate site surveys for any 802.11a/b/g/n indoor and outdoor wireless network. This evolutionary software automatically gathers critical Wi-Fi and RF spectrum information from your enterprise network using multiple data collection methods and generates detailed Wi-Fi performance maps of the results for easy network deployment, capacity planning and optimization. It is the only survey solution to actively associate to APs and get real world uplink/downlink data rates, retry and packet loss information.
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Spectrum XT, the ideal solution for network engineers/technicians and installers/integrators for troubleshooting and deployment of WLAN networks, is available in the universal and convenient USB form factor, allowing it to be used on any notebook, netbook or tablet PC.
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AirMagnet Planner makes it easy to build a detailed model of any WiFi environment. Simply load in a map of your location and simulate wireless performance based on the correct number, placement and configuration of APs. Tweak any number of these settings until you achieve full coverage for end-users while minimising signal bleed into unsecured areas.
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Wi-fi Related Product Families
Wi-fi Related Industry News
Ten steps to low-cost wireless LAN security Let me guess: Despite your best efforts to stop them, users are hooking low-cost 802.11b (Wi-Fi) access points (APs) to the corporate network. And, despite your best efforts, your CFO has zero interest in buying the tools you really need to secure these wireless LANs.
Here, then, are some relatively simple, low-cost ways to boost the security of your wireless LANs. They're not perfect, but they do provide at least a first line of defense. And if a......
[more] BT says: Protect your network from professional hackers It's not just the warchalkers you need to worry about... BT Openworld has this week thrown its weight behind the fight against 'Warchalking' - the practice of scrawling chalk marks on the outside of buildings with Wi-Fi networks to encourage passers by to surf on companies' unprotected bandwidth.
However, the UK ISP has warned that it's not just bandwidth pirates you need to worry about. Warchalkers have also drawn attention to the very......
[more] Alliance to certify Wi-Fi security specs HANOVER, GERMANY -- The Wi-Fi Alliance expects to certify by May its WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) set of specifications in the first of several efforts to provide greater security to users of high-speed wireless networks, said Andrea Vocale, a technical expert with the alliance, speaking Monday at a news conference at the CeBIT trade show here.
WPA is a subset of the 802.11i security standard, which has yet to be approved by the IEEE ( Institute of El......
[more] Boost to wireless broadband BT is speeding up plans for thousands more places around the UK where you can go online via a wireless broadband connection. To further that aim, the telecoms giant is offering wireless starter kits, dubbed hotspots in a box, which will allow companies to set up their own wi-fi networks.
It follows the success of self-install home broadband access, which was a major contributor to kick-starting a fast net boom.
People will need a fixed broadband line from BT,......
[more] The Wireless-Security Balancing Act If you choose an EAP that doesn't gain de facto standard status, the access point will be to other EAP clients what a two-hole electrical outlet is to three-pronged plugs. Wireless LANs have been billed as the great security wasteland. But thanks to the 802.11b Wi-Fi community's frenetic activity in the last year, an abundance of good security choices now exist, with more on the way.
Wi-Fi security efforts have focused on encryption and authentication, wi......
[more] Future of Wireless Fidelity Remains Up in Air It remains to be seen whether telecom companies will attempt to build Wi-Fi systems that span their entire territories. "The question is how you make a nationwide plan that will run in the black," says Yankee Group analyst Sarah Kim. The great wireless land grab has begun.
Companies ranging from tech startups to the nation's largest phone corporations are staking their claims on more wireless spectrum across the country. This time, they are not......
[more] People confused by wi-fi jargon If talk of a "wi-fi hotspot" makes you think of someone having trouble with their spouse, then you are not alone. Most home computer users in the UK have no idea what so-called wi-fi hotspots are, a survey has found.
Just under 30% of those quizzed knew that the term refers to an area where you can connect to the internet without having to plug a cable into your computer.
The findings will prove disappointing for companies looking to tempt people to log on......
[more] Wi-Fi gets on the right track What sort of investment in public transport would make you swap from plane to long haul trains or from car to bus or commuter train? asks Rob Bamforth of Bloor Research. How about fast mobile data access using Wi-Fi? Mobile users at mobile hotspots. It might be a challenge delivering high bandwidth networking to a moving target - both technical and financial - but at least there's a sitting audience.
For the would-be 'railwarrior', the solution could be at hand,......
[more] Wi-fi networks step up security The security of wireless networks used by businesses in London has improved significantly over the last 12 months, says a survey RSA Security found that 66% of the networks surveyed use the encryption system built-in to the wi-fi standard to help them prevent unauthorised access.
This is a big change since the last survey which found that only 37% had the security system turned on.
Despite this improvement, RSA said many firms were still making basic mista......
[more] Opportunities for Wi-Fi hackers on the increase London home to rogue access points IT managers are catching up to the dangers of Wi-Fi, but opportunities for drive-by hackers in London may actually be increasing. New wireless LANs are popping up very fast, and many of them are insecure 'rogue' access points.
This year, only two-thirds of the City's Wi-Fi networks have WEP (wired equivalent privacy), the basic Wi-Fi security standard turned on. That's not a great record, but it is better than l......
[more] Microsoft clips Wi-Fi's wings Three minutes to connect? Just keep waiting says Redmond Microsoft has responded to complaints that Windows XP sometimes has problems connecting to Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, the response is: "Tough. Wait it out."
"This behavior is expected," says a terse article in Microsoft's Knowledge Base. "You must wait up to three minutes for the network configuration to complete."
There's no fix, no patch, no workaround. "The wireless network card driver may not respond......
[more] A quarter of products fail Wi-Fi tests More than a quarter of Wi-Fi products fail compatibility tests the first time, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, the body that promotes Wi-Fi use. Most users find that Wi-Fi devices work the first time with any hotspot, however, because the problems are always fixed before the product earns the Wi-Fi badge -- the 1000th of which has now been issued by the Alliance.
"Based on testing of more than 1,000 products over several IEEE (Institute of Electrical......
[more] Software upgrade puts proprietary Wi-Fi on back foot Vernier claims supremacy and threatens to bend market Wireless gateway vendor Vernier has updated its software to match, according to the company, the security and control of wireless-specific switches.
The advantage of version 4 of its CS6500 Control Server software over competing products from, for instance, Trapeze (see review) and Symbol (see review) is that they do not require proprietary access points.
The new product includes a c......
[more] AirMagnet Unveils New Distributed WLAN Security and Performance Solution AirMagnet, the leader in wireless LAN (WLAN) security and performance solutions, today announced an entirely new version of its Distributed WLAN security and performance system. AirMagnet Distributed 4.0(1) includes a completely new network dashboard, advanced rogue access point (AP) blocking and tracing, extended security and performance policy management, and more than a dozen other new features that allow increasingly d......
[more] Wireless internet stumbles ahead The spread of wi-fi is being hampered by increasing complex and incompatible products, an industry body promoting the technology has said. The Wi-Fi Alliance said 22% of new wireless devices it tested did not work properly on the first attempt.
The group lobbies for a common standard to make it as easy as possible for people to surf the web wirelessly.
A recent Consumers' Association survey in the UK found that many people were put off by the complexity o......
[more] Wireless visions collide Wireless executives at a Tuesday morning keynote session here at the CTIA Wireless show looked toward ubiquitous high-speed services and new ways of using phones, but some disagreed as to how those services will be delivered Wi-Fi wireless LAN hot spots will complement fast wide-area data services such as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), said Sky Dayton, founder and chief executive officer of Wi-Fi service provider Boingo Wireless. Boingo on Tuesday announced a partn......
[more] China wireless policy a "concern" The United States said China's attempt to impose its own technical security standard for wireless computer chips was "a matter of grave concern" that could result in a complaint to the WTO.
The US Trade Representative's Office, in a report on global barriers to trade, weighed in on the dispute, which is expected to shut US-based Intel out of the Chinese market for the fast-growing wireless data network technology.
Intel has said it would not comply with th......
[more] U.K. Plans Roadside Wireless Network The U.K. government is planning to upgrade its roadside telematics system with a wireless network designed to blanket the country with low-cost wireless Internet access.
At this week's Wireless LAN Event here, a small Exeter-based company called Last Mile Communications (a trading name of five-year-old TIVIS Ltd.) launched the patented technology the government is eyeing for its massive roadside infrastructure upgrade. Under Last Mile's scheme, contractor......
[more] London Wi-Fi plan hits lamppost The future of wireless, we thought, was short-range repeaters on street furniture. Either, the Wi-Fi based model proposed by Westminster Council, or the revolutionary telematics model patented by Last Mile communications.
Here at the WLAN Event in Olympia, Last Mile has officially revealed its plans to install 150,000 wireless circuits, including memory, in 150,000 lampposts in the UK. To do this, it takes advantage of a near-global agreement on roadside telem......
[more] Hackers Target Computers On Wi-Fi Hot Spots Wireless networks aren't just popular with computer users on the go. Hackers are finding them an easy target to snoop on consumers' laptop PCs and, eventually, their employers' networks.
Digital intruders are piercing defenseless air space at corporations, public Wi-Fi hot spots and homes to gain illegal entry to computers. About 90% of mobile devices lack protection, says market researcher Gartner.
''All the money you've spent to protect your......
[more] Hackers Lurk Through Holes in Hot Spots Many hot spots do not require passwords. That lets anyone with a wireless connection and hacking know-how hop aboard the network and filch business files, credit card numbers and other confidential information. Wireless networks aren't just popular with computer users on the go. Hackers are finding them an easy target to snoop on consumers' laptop PCs and, eventually, their employers' networks.
Digital intruders are piercing defenseless air space at cor......
[more] McWi-Fi Ronald McDonald can teach you a few lessons about how to creatively apply Wi-Fi to your business. It seems like a simple enough deal: Last week, fast food chain McDonald's announced it's having 6,000 of its U.S. outlets set up for Wi-Fi access. The new hot spots will let McDonald's customers link up to the Internet while they chow down, for a mere $2.95 per hour. There's nothing really new about that -- lots of Starbucks coffee joints and a few Schlotzsky's delis already offer Wi-Fi. An......
[more] Central London Wi-Fi zone gets green light London will become one of the world's leading wireless city, the Westminster Council said today as it cut the ribbon on a project to turn the West End into a Wi-Fi zone for its workers.
The scheme, revealed by The Register over a year ago, is being extended from an initial test - put in place last September - in Soho Square, Greek Street and Frith Street. It now extends to the whole of Soho, bordered by Shafesbury Ave, Regent Street, Oxford Street a......
[more] Leading Canadian communications provider chooses AirMagnet AirMagnet, the leader in wireless LAN (WLAN) security and performance solutions, today announced that Allstream, Canada's largest alternative communication solutions provider, has selected AirMagnet Distributed 4.0 to support its recently launched Managed Local Area Network (LAN) service, which offers enterprise customers a stable, flexible and secure hosted wireless LAN solution. Wireless Friendly, a leading Canadian wireless integrato......
[more] Wi-Fi open to jamming attack The 802.11 Wi-Fi protocol contains a weakness that could make it susceptible to a denial of service attack from a PDA vulnerability in the 802.11 wireless protocol that could allow someone with a PDA to disrupt corporate wireless communications has been discovered by The University of Queensland in Australia.
More and more companies are implementing wireless instead of hard-wired networks to reduce clutter and save installation costs. Microsoft is a prime exampl......
[more] Train company on track with wireless GNER rolls out iPaqs to fleet following successful pilot scheme GNER has rolled out new handheld mobile devices, web services and business intelligence tools to improve customer service for passengers.
Following a successful pilot earlier this year using iPaqs, the train firm has now rolled out more than 300 devices to provide staff with information on journey disruptions that can be relayed to passengers.
The iPaqs connect to web-based applications usi......
[more] Students uncover new Wi-Fi vulnerability Attackers could shut down WLAN with just a handheld device Students at the Queensland University of Technology Information Security Research Centre in Australia have uncovered a flaw in an IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) protocol that allows attackers with a simple Wi-Fi-enabled handheld device to effectively shut down a wireless local area network.
The report, published by AusCERT (Australian Computer Emergency Response Team), a not-for-profit organization based......
[more] Cardiff to become wireless hotspot Cardiff is to become the first city in the UK to offer wire-free internet coverage in central areas of the city. The technology, known as wi-fi, means people with suitably-equipped laptops will be able to surf the web or pick up emails in "hotspots" without cables.
A network of 50 hotspots will operate across the city centre and in Cardiff Bay from the summer.
The service is being set up by a partnership between Cardiff council and BT.
Users will be......
[more] Wi-fi may tempt train travellers Wireless net access could tempt many more people into using the train. A survey found that 72% of business travellers asked said onboard wi-fi web access would make them more likely to choose trains over cars or planes.
It also found that the longer the journey that people took, the more interested they became in using web access on trains to get some work done.
Passengers on the longest journeys said they would be willing to pay up to £12 per trip for an......
[more] CCTV goes wi-fi to fight crime The technology behind street surveillance is changing, reports BBC ClickOnline's Spencer Kelly.
In the UK there is one CCTV camera for every 14 people. If you are in London, you could be caught on camera up to 300 times a day.
But the cameras are expensive, and once you have installed one, and laid all the wires back to base, it is fixed and cannot move.
This means if a crime hotspot moves round the corner, you cannot see it.
Westminster City Counc......
[more] Banks open to attack as security spending stales Patch-apathy sets in... With billions of pounds at stake, security is one of the biggest concerns for banks and financial institutions. So why have 83 of the top 100 been compromised?
According to Deloitte's annual Global Security Survey, hackers are keener than ever to try and breach banks' defences but around a quarter of the institutions queried said their security budget growth was "flat".
The money-cautious approach to security may......
[more] IT managers ready defenses against flaw in wireless LANs Users could face DoS attacks, but the risks are seen as low Information technology managers last week said a denial-of-service vulnerability that affects some Wi-Fi wireless LANs could force companies to develop new skills and rethink the way their networks are set up. But, they added, it should be relatively easy to defend WLANs against attacks seeking to exploit the flaw.
For example, an attacker would need to be within the typical 20......
[more] Securing the air The benefits of wireless LANs (WLAN) are undeniable but the risks introduced by them are increasing exponentially. According to InStat MDR More than 75 million Wi-Fi devices have been deployed worldwide and another 4 million new WLAN devices are being shipped per month.
Some organizations think their investments in firewalls and VPNs will protect them from the risks of WLANs. However, they do not realize that the WLAN signal bypasses all wired side security and opens a back......
[more] AirMagnet offers intrusion detection Managing wireless devices is difficult enough without worrying about hackers relentlessly probing your agency's network for weaknesses. AirMagnet Inc., known for wireless toolkits and Wi-Fi management and survey devices, takes security a step further with a true policy-based and distributed wireless intrusion- detection system.
I've tested several products on the market that compete with AirMagnet Distributed, including AirDefense Inc.'s AirDefense and R......
[more] Attack of the bandwidth-hogging hackers Swiss security researchers have unearthed a flaw in wireless LAN systems that might be used by hackers to drastically increase their share of the available bandwidth at the expense of the other users. The issue should be of particular concern to hotspot operators, according to a team from the computer labs at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lussanne (EPFL).
Appropriate standards (such as 802.11i) have been developed to ensure user security and pri......
[more] Rawhide gets taste of the Wi-Fi cowboy Herding cattle, 802.11b style While the corporate world struggles to find a business model that will make Wi-Fi hotspots pay, those agricultural types out in the countryside have been having other ideas. Not for the farmer the delights of high speed Internet access in a soulless coffee joint.
No. In the country, they'll use Wi-Fi to herd cattle.
The suggestion was actually made by roboticist Zack Butler, speaking at the MobiSys conference in Boston.......
[more] The Wi-Fi explosion: a virus writer's dream With the consumer Wi-Fi explosion, launching a virus into the wild has never been easier and more anonymous than it is today. Like a sneeze in a crowded subway, it's hard to find the human source of the latest viral infection. On the Internet it's not much different. The people who write these nasty little programs and release them into the wild almost never get caught. Why? The answer is easy, but it's also a sort of technical nemesis: there's simply......
[more] London business to get 36 Mbit/s wireless broadband Libera aims to plug the copper-fibre gap. A start-up has promised to offer 36Mbit/s of fixed wireless broadband connectivity to 75 percent of small and medium businesses, starting with London. Libera will start with a trial in Docklands this summer and expects to cover the whole area within the M25 by summer 2005.
"We are the first real alternative to BT's local loop," said Libera's chief executive, Robert Condon at the Voice on the Net con......
[more] Hackers exploit poor Wi-Fi security Update security policies for the mobile workplace, analyst warns corporates Shoddy configuration of wireless local area network (Lan) access points and client software will cause 70 per cent of successful attacks against business networks through to 2006, industry experts have warned.
According to analyst Gartner, security for corporate wireless Lans and PDAs must to be driven by updated security policies that address the fast-developing mobile workplace.......
[more] Wi-Fi ends up in court BT wins deal to install wireless hotspots for jurors, lawyers and judges BT has won a three-year deal to supply UK courts with Wi-Fi hotspots, aiming to speed up the legal system by making sure jurors, lawyers and judges have access to the most up-to-date information.
Seven courts in England and Wales are being Wi-Fi enabled by BT OpenWorld as part of the trial.
Lawyers would benefit by being able to research new points of law as and when they arise, according to L......
[more] Stealth wallpaper could keep WLANs secure Keeps outsiders off your wired or wireless network UK defence contractor BAE Systems has developed a stealth wallpaper to beat electronic eavesdropping on company Wi-Fi networks.
The company has produced panels using the technology to produce a screen that will prevent outsiders from listening in on companies' Wi-Fi traffic but let other radio and mobile phone traffic get through.
The FSS (Frequency Selective Surface) panels are made in the same......
[more] Wireless security must improve in Europe Around 34% of businesses in London, Paris, Frankfurt and Milan are still leaving their wireless networks open to attack, according to the latest survey commissioned by RSA Security. Many install the networks without changing risky default settings.
The survey also recorded explosive growth in the number of wireless networks across the four financial centres, with the number in London rising 770% since 2001.
Wireless networks – also known as Wi-Fi......
[more] Stronger WLAN security standard approved The IEEE 802.11i specification, the latest set of rules to bolster security on wireless LANs, has received final approval, according to a co-author of the standard.
The IEEE 802.11i subcommittee signed off on the standard Thursday, according to a statement from Trapeze Networks that was attributed to Dan Harkins, a software engineer at the Pleasanton, Calif., WLAN equipment vendor. Harkins was a co-author of several portions of the specification.......
[more] Wi-fi sensor net aids wine makers A Californian vineyard is turning to wi-fi technology to help it grow better grapes. Pickberry in Sonoma County is using a wireless net to gather data from sensors in its fields that monitor key conditions such as temperature, humidity and soil moisture.
The sensor net means the grape growers know much more about the health of their vines and can apply water or chemicals only when the plants really need them.
It is also helping the viticulturists work out......
[more] Rail users get wi-fi net access Train passengers on the East Coast Main Line can now use the information superhighway while they travel. Operator GNER is bringing the first of 10 trains equipped with wireless internet access (wi-fi) on the east coast route on Tuesday.
The company said it was the first rail firm in the UK to provide the service.
First class passengers can get online free, said chief executive Christopher Garnett, but those in standard class will have to pay for the servi......
[more] Wimpey installs Wi-Fi networks on construction sites Construction firm George Wimpey has slashed its telecoms costs by consolidating infrastructure and installing wireless networks on building sites.
The firm, which builds more than 14,500 new homes a year, has already reduced mobile and fixed-line charges on several of its sites by introducing digital enhanced cordless telecoms, and now plans to roll out the infrastructure across all new sites.
The Wi-Fi project, along with other managed......
[more] Don't abandon using VPN for wireless security too soon Many people use VPN technology to overcome the past shortcomings of wireless security, and they might want to continue doing just that for a while.
The IEEE has approved a new standard for wireless security called 802.11i that is supposed to address the shortcomings of earlier standards, Wired Equivalent Protection (WEP) and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).
Maybe 802.11i will succeed in its goals, but users should consider two things befor......
[more] High-speed wireless begins its standardisation journey The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) will begin sifting through a record number of proposals for a high-speed amendment to the 802.11 standard next week, but wireless chip makers are already jumping the gun with pre-standard products.
802.11n is intended to more than triple the real throughput of wireless LAN (WLAN) by focussing on enhancements to the MAC (media access control) interface, rather than the physical l......
[more] Experts predict Wi-Fi explosion
Now that 802.11i is an official IEEE standard, paving the way for more secure Wi-Fi products, industry experts predict the business community's interest in the technology will skyrocket in the next year or two.
Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Austin-based Wi-Fi Alliance, said the next step comes in September. That's when his group will start certifying products with WPA2, an update of Wi-Fi Protected Access, which the alliance introduced last year as......
[more] AirMagnet Ships Latest Wireless Security Solution For Laptops, Handhelds
AirMagnet on Monday plans to ship the fourth generation of its laptop and handheld wireless security solution, which brings voice-over-WLAN tools as well as support for 802.11i, a wireless security standard recently ratified by the IEEE.
AirMagnet Mobile 4.0 includes 20 new features, such as voice-over-WLAN troubleshooting tools, expanded authentication support and policy management, said Rich Mironov, vice president o......
[more] Wi-Fi Weds Bluetooth It was inevitable. As connectivity has continued its evolution of putting more functions in a single box, the pairing of more than one popular wireless technology into a single device was just a matter of time.
That's why companies are now putting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth together into handhelds such as smartphones and PDAs. But while this marriage may seem like a dream come true for consumers, as demonstrated by the popularity of the combo in the consumer market, it's......
[more] Co-ordination vital to wireless adoption The gulf between the promise of wireless and the reality of incompatible networks and hotspots remains the biggest hindrance to Wi-Fi take-up The big promise of wireless technology is that it will finally free workers
from the tyranny of the office. But there is still a long way to go before
wireless working becomes ubiquitous, and many of the barriers to adoption are as
familiar as they are depressingly mundane.
Take Wi-Fi. You might access corporat......
[more] Security concerns still plague wireless take-up Wireless has many benefits, provided companies minimise the risks and rein in ad hoc networks 'Be afraid, be very afraid' is the attitude of many companies when faced with the prospect of using a wireless network.
Because wireless is about broadcasting data that often goes beyond company perimeters, businesses worry that it won't be secure enough. And who can blame them, with a regular stream of surveys highlighting gaping security holes?
Secur......
[more] Wi-Fi Group Cracks Down on Incompatible Extensions The Wi-Fi Alliance announced a new policy Monday to prevent proprietary extensions to wireless standards from breaking compatibility with other devices.
The alliance said it would pull its logo—certifying interoperability with other Wi-Fi products—from devices whose extensions made them inoperable with other devices.
The policy seems to be the Wi-Fi Alliance's response to the "good neighbor" debate between Atheros Inc. and Broadcom Corp.......
[more] Wireless Laptops At Democratic Convention Pose Big Risk Next week, thousands will gather in Boston for the Democratic National Convention, many of them armed with wireless-enabled laptops that could present major security problems, a Boston-area firm said Thursday.
Although the convention itself will rely on a wired network, there are hundreds of unsecured wireless access points and cards around and about the FleetCenter, home to the convention, according to tests done by Newbury Networks, a......
[more] Massive free Wi-Fi hot spot lands on Paris Mobile workers in the main business area of Paris will soon be able to get free high-speed Internet connectivity on the move A wireless network is being deployed in the business district of Paris that will give high-speed Internet access to some 150,000 workers. The network, which is being deployed by Wi-Fi operator SFR using Alcatel kit, will incorporate 30 separate 802.11b hot spots into a single cloud of coverage.
It runs from the Bridge of Neuilly......
[more] AirMagnet Tends CBK's Wireless Networks Nine months ago, Todd Little sat in a cafe with his laptop and was amazed by the number of wireless networks he could see. This got the network administrator at CBK Ltd. thinking: "What could people see coming from behind CBK's walls?"
Although Little was sure his wireless networks at CBK, a wholesaler of home accents in Union City, Tenn., were secure, he decided to play it safe. He deployed AirMagnet Inc.'s Distributed Starter Kit, a wireless security o......
[more] XP Service Pack 2 gets the green light The massive update to Windows XP has been released to manufacturing, and is expected to be available to business and consumers within weeks Microsoft on Friday wrapped up development on a long-awaited security update to Windows XP, paving the way for businesses and consumers to upgrade in the coming days and months.
The company said it has released Windows XP Service Pack 2 to manufacturing, following a series of delays. Microsoft will make the free updat......
[more] Ensure security best practice when deploying new technologies Managers must balance the benefits of new technologies with the security risks they pose. Use this advice to maintain your security architecture's standards and ensure that it isn't compromised by newly integrated technologies. Topnotch companies wield cutting-edge technology to stay ahead of the pack. But with the breakneck speed at which technologies roll out, an enterprise's supposedly robust security architecture could quickly bec......
[more] Brits still blind to benefits of Wi-Fi It's 17 months since Intel launched its Centrino and began telling the world about wireless networking - Apple launched its first 802.11b product in 1999 - and still the majority of the UK public remain blissfully unaware what Wi-Fi is.
The chip giant today announced that its research - actually conducted by ICM Research - has revealed that 34 per cent of adults in the UK known the meaning of the term 'Wi-Fi'. This, the company feels, is impressive.......
[more] City first for wi-fi connection Preston has become the first English city to offer comprehensive wire-free internet coverage in the city centre. The technology, known as wi-fi, means people with laptops and PDAs will be able to surf the web or pick up emails in "hotspots" without cables.
The scheme - which is a joint project between the council and the University of Central Lancashire (Uclan) - has a £60 annual subscription fee.
Last month, Cardiff became the first city in the UK to offer t......
[more] Hackers Get Jail Time After Using Wi-Fi For Break-Ins Federal prosecutors in Charlotte, N.C. said Thursday that three men had pleaded guilty in a case that is likely the first criminal conviction of "wardriving," the hacker tactic of cruising for unsecured wireless networks.
The three Michigan men all filed guilty pleas for charges that they penetrated the computer network of home improvement retailer Lowe's through an unprotected Wi-Fi access point in a parking lot of a Lowe's in suburban De......
[more] UK Scientists roll out Wi-Fi proof wallpaper British boffins have developed wallpaper that blocks Wi-Fi traffic but still allows other wireless transmissions to pass through in a bid to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive data via the WLAN.
Developed by UK defence company BAE Systems, the wallpaper uses Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) sheeting, a material more commonly found slapped on military aircraft, naval vessels and radar antennae, New Scientist reports. In this case, the FSS mate......
[more] Industry Coalition Floats Proposal for 802.11n A second group is floating its technical proposal to replace Wi-Fi, in advance of a meeting next month to begin resolving the issue. The so-called WWiSE consortium–comprising Airgo Networks, Bermai, Broadcom, Conexant, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments–held a conference call Thursday morning to introduce its new proposal for the 802.11n standard. "WWiSE" stands for "World Wide Spectrum Efficiency," a characteristic of the new proposed standa......
[more] Switched Wi-Fi market soars The enterprise wireless LAN market has grown significantly this year and, in particular, switched wireless LANs have been booming. According to new research, as wireless LAN technology gains more acceptance in the enterprise, the markets for both traditional and switched wireless LANs will continue to grow at high rates. According to a recent study by Redwood City, Calif.-based Dell'Oro Group Inc., the switched wireless LAN market grew by 125% in the second quarter i......
[more] Intel improves Centrino wireless security Chip firm Intel said it had released support for 802.11a, b and g in the same Calexico wireless chipset.
It said it has also built fresh software for its Pro Wireless 2915 ABG connection, which includes a wizard to allow safer net security, offers profile management, and has better troubleshooting capabilities.
Version 9.0 of the software also includes the latest version of Cisco Compatible Extensions for compatibility with that company's infrastructu......
[more] Intel formally introduces tri-mode Wi-Fi chip Processor supports 802.11a, b and g As expected, Intel introduced its tri-mode wireless chip Thursday with several software enhancements to the product to help improve security and reliability, it said during a Webcast.
The Intel Pro/Wireless 2915ABG Network Connection allows laptops based on Intel's Centrino platform to connect to the three most commonly used wireless networks found in enterprises and homes. The first notebooks with the chip will b......
[more] Wi-fi nets get security makeover The security systems built into wireless networks have had an overhaul. The update uses stronger encryption and does a better job of letting only authorised users join wireless nets.
The improvements have been made to re-assure businesses that wi-fi networks can be made safe enough to be really useful and widely deployed.
However, with a lot of older, insecure wireless technology already installed, it could be a while before all networks are upgraded and mad......
[more] First Wi-Fi products get security certificate The Wi-Fi Alliance got its next certification programme off to a flying start, issuing WPA2 badges to a bunch of products that comply with the 802.11i security specification. The Alliance is readying other programmes for quality of service and the 802.11n fast Wi-Fi standard due next year.
The WPA2 certified products include generic designs from Atheros Communications and Broadcom, so customers can expect to buy products with the badges on by the en......
[more] First 'warspamming' case reaches court A landmark case in America could establish that spammers really do take advantage of insecure wireless networks A US citizen is thought to have become the first person to be accused of hacking a wireless network in order to send spam.
Nicholas Tombros, 37, is charged under the US CAN-SPAM act, which aims to clamp down on unsolicited junk mail. Prosecutors allege that Tombros used a laptop to sniff out insecure residential wireless access points in a Los An......
[more] Warspammer guilty under new federal law A Los Angeles man who used other people's wi-fi networks to send thousands of unsolicited adult-themed e-mails from his car pleaded guilty to a single felony Monday, in what prosecutors say is the first criminal conviction under the federal CAN-SPAM Act.
In a plea agreement with prosecutors, Nicholas Tombros, 37, faces a likely sentencing range stretching from probation to six months in custody, assuming he has no prior criminal convictions. Sentencing......
[more] 802.11i: The next big thing The IEEE standard called Robust Security Networking is a force to be reckoned with. As an amendment to the original 802.11 WLAN standard, 802.11i replaces the original meager 10-page WEP discussion with more than 200 pages of detailed protocol on how to lock unwanted users out of your wireless network.
Approved in July, 802.11i products have started to appear in the market. Even though we received our test equipment before the final draft of the standard was ratifi......
[more] Gaps remain in Wi-Fi security Sadly the new WPA2 security spec won't make your wireless LAN invulnerable Here's some good news - the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) spec is finally with us, and the Wi-Fi Alliance has begun certifying compliant products. "Hurrah," I hear you shout, "finally we can have secure wireless networks."
Now the bad news; starting with the fact that WPA2 is not so much a standard as an interoperability stamp for wireless encryption and authentication technologies conform......
[more] Wi-Fi group says 'no' to pre-standard 802.11n kit The Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) today formally avowed its aversion to so-called 'pre-standard' wireless products by pledging not to certify kit featuring 802.11n technologies until the standard has been ratified by the IEEE.
That's not expected to take place until November 2006, but if past versions of Wi-Fi are anything to go by, a number of WLAN chip makers and equipment makers will undoubtedly try to beat the rest to market by offering products tha......
[more] Wi-Fi networks kiss and make up BT Openzone and T-Mobile have finally agreed to let each other's subscribers use their wireless hot spots From November, mobile workers whose company has taken out a subscription with either BT Openzone or T-Mobile will be able to use both Wi-Fi networks in the UK at no additional cost.
The agreement helps to unify Britain's fragmented Wi-Fi market. Between them, Openzone and T-Mobile have around 10,000 hot spots -- many through Openzone's own roaming deal with T......
[more] Business frets over wireless security There is no question that a number of the new mobile solutions that are being developed could help many business processes function more efficiently. The results of a recent survey, carried out at an executive briefing held by IT consulting services and solutions provider C&C Technology, sheds some light onto the perceived advantages of wireless working and some major concerns regarding these solutions.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, wireless network security......
[more] Some WLANs open to dictionary attack A dictionary attack tool designed to exploit a weakness the Wi-Fi Protected Access security for wireless LANs has been published on the Web.
The software, called WPA Cracker, exploits one option that can be used in WPA, usually in consumer applications or residential WLANs: a pre-shared encryption key. This key is simpler to use and deploy than using the more complex 802.1x for authentication.
With the pre-shared key, a common shared pass phrase is set f......
[more] Global Wi-Fi Access Deal Makes World Wireless Agreement creates instant access to 20,000 wireless hotspots in 11 countries. A worldwide roaming agreement among four of the world's biggest wireless operators has given the Wi-Fi hotspot market a shot in the arm and users access to more than 20,000 hotspots.
UK-based BT Group; StarHub of Singapore; T-Mobile International, which operates in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the U.S.; Australia's Telstra; and Teleco......
[more] WLAN Security Adoption Still Trailing Despite Widespread Use of Wireless in the Workplace Around 70 percent of British organisations are either already using or planning to use wireless connectivity as part of everyday business. Yet security remains top of the list when it comes to wireless networking concerns, with more than a third of companies admitting that they would have no way of knowing if their wireless security measures were breached. These are some of the main findings of an independ......
[more] UK firms wide open to wireless attack Two-thirds of companies failing to take Wi-Fi and Bluetooth security seriously Most large UK companies are leaving their networks open to attack by failing to take wireless security seriously, newly released research has claimed.
A survey of 81 large UK companies found that 68 per cent of respondents displayed "an alarming lack of urgency in securing computer networks against wireless risks".
According to the study by wireless firm Red-M, 45 per cent of th......
[more] Corporations Get Ready for Wi-Fi Universities and health care organizations have led the way in Wi-Fi installations -- and done the bleeding that takes place on the cutting edge. Now, U.S. corporations are learning from these leaders and evaluating how wireless LANs (WLANs) can benefit their companies.
Corporate IT executives came to the Angelbeat Mobility, Security, VoIP Executive Briefing on Monday to hear from vendors of wireless monitoring and security applications hoping to get their busi......
[more] London gets 'largest ever' indoor Wi-Fi site The British Library claims to have built the largest indoor wireless LAN in the capital The British Library finally launched its wireless network on Tuesday, which it claims is the largest enclosed Wi-Fi hot spot in the UK capital.
The network covers eleven reading rooms, the Library auditorium, a cafe and restaurant, and also an outdoor Piazza. It will be available to around 3,000 visitors per day.
Broadcom has built a huge Wi-Fi zone outdoors in......
[more] AirMagnet polarizes wireless monitoring debate Two access points and a scanner on one chip. Wireless security specialist AirMagnet reckons it can settle a rumbling dispute in the Wi-Fi world, by offering a box that combines two access points with a full-time wireless monitor. The new device, based on multi-channel silicon from Engim, could find its way into other vendors' Wi-Fi systems next year.
AirMagnet - along with other specialists such as AirDefense - sells security products that use sta......
[more] Wireless-J standard opens Japan to the Wi-Fi world And boost 802.11a at the same time. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has approved a new wireless standard that will expand international Wi-Fi roaming to Japan.
The 802.11j standard will also apply to wireless equipment used by US anti-terrorism forces, and will affect the way spectrum is used in other countries.
It brings the 802.11 WLAN family - branded Wi-Fi - into line with Japanese regulations from August of 2......
[more] Long prison term for Lowe's wi-fi hacker A 21-year-old Michigan man was sentenced to nine years in federal prison Wednesday in federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina for his role in a failed scheme to steal credit card numbers from the Lowe's chain of home improvement stores by taking advantage of an unsecured wi-fi network at a store in suburban Detroit.
Brian Salcedo faced a possible sentence of 12 to 15 years under federal sentencing guidelines, but at the government's urging federal j......
[more] Airwave hackers spark computer alert Almost two-thirds of wireless computers installed in offices, homes and public buildings have no basic security safeguards and can be snooped on by amateur hackers, according to a Sunday Times investigation.
The lack of protection means that e-mails and sensitive computer files can be accessed by hackers using little more than a laptop and an antenna.
The revelation has sparked concern among the police and will come as a shock to tens of thousands of......
[more] Access all areas Doubts about security have long discouraged many firms from deploying mobile computing. But wireless technology has moved on When many companies find it hard enough to control the IT use of office-based employees, how do you convince them that giving staff remote access is a good idea?
This is the dilemma that faces all notebook, wireless networking and remote-management software manufacturers and resellers. There are a lot of variables to consider. The process of providing a m......
[more] Souped-up wi-fi is on the horizon Super high-speed wireless data networks could soon be in use in the UK. The government's wireless watchdog is seeking help on the best way to regulate the technology behind such networks called Ultra Wideband (UWB).
Ofcom wants to ensure that the arrival of UWB-using devices does not cause problems for those that already use the same part of the radio spectrum.
UWB makes it possible to stream huge amounts of data through the air over short distances.
One......
[more] Wi-Fi Alliance to Promote WLAN Security The Wi-Fi alliance will use its pull in the industry to improve security measures in wireless LAN hardware over the next year.
The Austin, Texas, trade organization, which confers the right to use the Wi-Fi label on hardware, plans to increase encryption requirements for certification. But members of the security task groups within the alliance stress that the onus of WLAN security still lies with the customer.
Last fall, the group quietly made support......
[more] Why standards are important for wireless security Industry standards play a critical role in R&D, product development and marketing initiatives which in turn help organizations meet their business objectives. Standards simplify product development and reduce non-value-adding costs, thereby increasing a user's ability to compare competing products. Standards also represent fundamental building blocks for international trade and communications.
Successful businesses benefit from standards both......
[more] AirMagnet Receives Funding From Intel Communications Fund AirMagnet, the leader in wireless LAN (WLAN) security and performance solutions, today announced that it is receiving an investment from Intel Communications Fund. This investment will be used to help expand the company's solutions to manage wireless in the mobile enterprise. As one of its first projects, AirMagnet will implement its Enterprise SmartSensor software on Intel® based Access Point (AP) reference platforms, starting with the......
[more] IT security industry faces a tough 2005 Days of wine and roses over as corporates streamline security budgets This year will mark a period of reckoning for the IT security industry as spending begins to decline, Gartner has predicted.
Victor Wheatman, managing vice president at the analyst firm, told the RSA Conference in San Francisco that by 2006 security spending will have dropped to four or five per cent of corporate IT budgets. In more efficient companies it could drop lower with no harm t......
[more] Many Wireless Security Breaches Reported At Security Conference There were 32 "Evil Twin" attacks and many other types of security breaches aimed at Wi-Fi users of the recently-concluded RSA security conference, wireless security vendor AirDefense claimed Thursday.
In an Evil Twin attack, hackers set up bogus access points and try to get nearby wireless users to log on either. Then, they can steal information that the user transmits The use of this method of attack marks a significant shift......
[more] Motorola Merges Its Plan for Faster Wi-Fi Two camps are ready for a showdown over faster wireless LANs following Motorola's agreement last week to merge its proposal for the IEEE 802.11n standard with that of the World Wide Spectrum Efficiency (WWiSE) consortium.
There are two remaining proposals for the 802.11n standard, which calls for wireless LANs that offer more than 100 megabits per second of data throughput. A task group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is set to......
[more] AirMagnet to complete a comprehensive Wireless solution for the US Government AirMagnet, Inc., announced today its participation in iGov's one-of-a-kind, turnkey, secure wireless networking solution that ensures interoperability among multiple wireless technologies and the wired network. iGov's new comprehensive solution, iSolutions for Wireless, combines sales, marketing, and engineering resources from 10 partners, including AirMagnet, that iGov has identified as industry leaders within the Fe......
[more] Security fears fail to hold back Wi-Fi Wireless Lans to triple in five years, reports analyst Despite security fears, the market for wireless Lan gear will roughly double in value and triple in unit shipments by 2009, largely thanks to next-generation technology delivering higher throughput, longer range and greater capacity.
According to a newly published report by Datacomm Research Company, soaring demand for wireless home entertainment technology will help drive the boom.
The report noted t......
[more] Does Your Wi-Fi Hotspot Have an Evil Twin? Identity thieves are going wireless in their quest to steal your personal info. You may want to think twice before logging into a public wireless hotspot. Sure, grabbing a few minutes of connectivity is convenient, but identity thieves are discovering that, through "evil twin" attacks, hotspots are a great way to steal unsuspecting users' private information.
So how does an evil twin attack work? Let's say that I'm a hacker. I set up my computer to tra......
[more] MCI Adds Thousands of Wireless Hotspots Telecom carrier broadens business Wi-Fi access in more than a dozen countries. MCI announced a major expansion today of the number of wireless hotspots available across the globe to its large-business consumers.
The telecommunications carrier has launched 1300 new Wi-Fi hotspots in Europe and the Asia/Pacific region, and will launch 3400 U.S. hotspots in May, the company said. Before the expansion, corporate customers of MCI's wireless service had access......
[more] BMW brings Wi-Fi to London showrooms BMW is to roll out public Wi-Fi Internet access at three of its London showrooms and service centres, the motor manufacturer said today.
The service's provision comes courtesy of BT Openzone and is geared toward customers availing themselves of BMW's one-hour mend-and-mop Fast Track service package. Alas, while Fast Track includes free coffee, newspapers and even a massage, it doesn't cover gratis Internet access. Presumably they figure if you can afford a......
[more] WLAN standards battle begins again Networking equipment makers are worried that Cisco will try foist a standard upon them as concerns over interoperability mount As large companies install Wi-Fi in their offices, equipment suppliers are challenged to come up with a new standard that will allow gear from different companies to work together.
Interoperability between radio access points used to transmit signals throughout offices and a new breed of WLAN switches that centrally control these switc......
[more] Many UK citizens still clueless about Wi-Fi Forty percent of the UK apparently don't know what Wi-Fi is More than a third of the nation is still ignorant about wireless technology, according to research published on Thursday.
Forty percent of respondents to a Freedom2Surf survey didn't understand what Wi-Fi technology was, although the overwhelming majority of those surveyed who were aged between 16 and 24 claimed to know about it. Thirty percent of this group used high-speed wireless networks......
[more] Frozen polar waste gets Wi-Fi hotspot Intel has rigged up a Wi-Fi hotspot just 80km from the North Pole, presumably so that Sir Ranaulph Fiennes and his ilk can check his email next time they take a little stroll across the ice-pack.
The hotspot was set up by two Intel employees who recently went on an expedition to ninety degrees north. The adventurous staffers installed an 802.11b/g access point at the main camp site, and a wireless LAN of three IBM T41 and T42 Centrino notebooks.
The acces......
[more] Intel employees put hot spot near the North Pole The hot spot was built at the Barneo ice camp in the Arctic region Intel Corp. said today that two employees at Intel Russia have erected what may be the world's most northerly Wi-Fi "hot spot." Its location: 78 miles from the North Pole.
The hot spot was built in the Arctic region at the Barneo ice camp, a tent complex used by scientists, researchers and rescue crews during the month of April, when ice conditions are safe. Still, the camp enviro......
[more] T-Mobile steams in with WiMAX, Wi-Fi train European rail operators love Wi-Fi. They're keen on anything that encourages more businesspeople to take the train, and wireless networking is an attractive way to provide paying travellers with ad hoc connections to the internet and company networks. A journey's duration becomes productive work time, whether it's part of a daily commute or a longer trip.
Connecting a carriage to the internet is not a problem. Nor is sharing that connection among the......
[more] London gets a mile of free Wi-Fi Good news for wireless users in Islington - they can now get free wireless Internet access. But will commercial hot spot operators be pleased? Mobile workers in London will be able to get free wireless access across a mile-long swathe of the capital, via a Wi-Fi network financed by Islington Council.
Dubbed the 'Technology Mile', it is thought to be the largest free public-access wireless network built in the UK so far. Islington Council took the decision to fu......
[more] AirMagnet Advances World's Best-Selling Wi-Fi Tools AirMagnet Laptop Analyzer 5.0 Builds on Years of Success; Offers Integrated Reporting for Easy SOX and HIPAA Compliance, New Security and Performance Alarms and Robust Vo-Fi Quality Management AirMagnet, Inc., the leader in wireless LAN (WLAN) security and performance solutions, today introduced the fifth generation of its AirMagnet Laptop Analyzer and related mobile solutions, which are relied upon by thousands of wireless network professional......
[more] Wi-Fi-proof sheet gets government approval Wireless hackers could be thwarted by a sheet of film that blocks Wi-Fi and IR signals. But MI5 is watching who buys it… Wireless hackers could soon face problems when trying to steal information, now that the British government has endorsed a transparent film that can block Wi-Fi transmissions and other wireless signals from travelling through windows.
The blast-proof film, called Spyguard, can be laminated or fitted inside windows to prevent remote e......
[more] IT staff fear Wi-Fi fumbles If the technology is fixed, it must be a people problem... The security of Wi-Fi networks is still a worry - even though most senior IT staff believe that 802.11i solves the technical problems. How can this be? Simple: those staff don't believe in their ability to deploy 802.11i securely.
This is one of the results from the just-published second annual Webtorials "Wireless LAN State-of-the-Market Report", which analyses responses from 419 subscribers to Webtorials,......
[more] Microsoft finally acknowledges wi-fi security standard Year's delay - but Window XP supports WPA2 Microsoft has released native support for the IEEE 802.11i wireless security specification in Windows XP and its variants, nearly a year after the standard's ratification. The update, made available on Friday, gives Windows compatibility with WPA2 - the certification based on 802.11i - as well as a standard designed to help laptops connect to secure public hotspots.
The Wi-Fi Alliance's WPA2 is de......
[more] CyberGuard launches wireless security appliance for SMEs CyberGuard Corporation has announced a new all-in-one wireless workgroup security and data access appliance, the CyberGuard SG565, designed to secure the wireless and wired local area networks of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Unifying defences to combat blended threats via a single device combining firewall, intrusion prevention and gateway anti-virus is quickly becoming a requirement for small and medium-sized businesses. CyberGua......
[more] When Is a Baked-Bean Can a Wi-Fi Network Antenna? You can make high technology when you're competing in Intel's International Science and Engineering Fair Is using an empty baked-bean can to grab a Wi-Fi signal from a mile away high technology? The answer is yes if you're an entrant in Intel's International Science and Engineering Fair being held this week in Phoenix.
Steven Buss, an 18-year-old Wi-Fi buff from Palm City, Florida, built three different types of antennas to see which provided th......
[more] Cyberguard brings networking to small businesses Cyberguard is coming out with a box that tries to be the only networking equipment needed in small offices.
Called SG565 the device includes a firewall, VPN support, intrusion protection, anti-virus software, traffic shaping, a five-port Ethernet switch and two USB ports that can support a printer and external storage. In addition to all that, it also includes an 802.11b and g Wi-Fi access point.
A box like this could support a small business......
[more] High-speed Wi-Fi standards debate stalls The latest proposal for 802.11n, the next-generation Wi-Fi standard, has been sent back to the drawing board after a second failure to be approved by the IEEE The process to establish the next-generation Wi-Fi standard, which promises to quadruple transmission speeds, has stalled as members of the working group developing the standard failed to pass the main proposal onto the next stage.
The proposal, put forth by the vendor group called Task Group 'n' s......
[more] Feds botch wireless security Federal agencies in the US are leaving their wireless networks open to attack by not implementing key security measures, according to a report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday.
Wireless networks – also known as Wi-Fi or Wireless Local Area Networks or WLANs – can fall victim to malicious hacking techniques, from eavesdropping on company or agency secrets to computer network disruption and the launching of denial of service attacks.
S......
[more] Westminster to open Wi-Fi network to hoi polloi Westminster Council's metropolitan Wi-Fi network is to be made accessible to the public, courtesy of BT's wireless Internet service provider, BT Openzone.
The network will also be upgraded to improve 3G mobile data connectivity in the area.
The Council today named the telco the Wireless City Project's infrastructure partner, as the network expands beyond its Soho core throughout the City of Westminster. It should be noted that the borough does n......
[more] Wi-Fi standard impasse makes 802.11n merger likely The leaders of the rival proposals for faster Wi-Fi are expected to meet face to face next week, to discuss a truce following the failure of IEEE's 802.11n task group to reach an agreement.
"The IEEE .11n ballot was a good result," said Dave Borison, director of product marketing at Airgo Networks Inc. "It's a wake-up call for both camps. We want to move forward and get a standard in place. Within the next quarter, or two at the most, we will......
[more] 802.11n supercharges Wi-Fi The forthcoming 802.11n standard will increase the capabilities of Wi-Fi kit The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), based in the US and not to be confused with our own Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), creates standards for various aspects of electronics. The best-known standards in the IT field are those written by committee 802, which include the standards for Ethernet, other LAN access methods and LAN security. However, 802 is now mos......
[more] Wi-Fi Still A Corporate Risk As the speed of business continues to accelerate all over the world, the strategic advantages of constantly connected employees also present some high-risk problems for corporate America.
Experts say the risks are growing because computer networks are increasingly being patched together through the Internet, with more entry points into the system than ever before. Laptops, PDAs, Wi-Fi hotspots and even cell phones form a loose-knit circle of methods to accesses th......
[more] Error 404 at 40,000 feet Struggling United Airlines could this year become the first US carrier to provide passengers with in-flight access to the internet.
United is to equip its fleet of aircraft with WiFi, after the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided that 802.11 b/g technology does not, in fact, harm the operation of an in-flight aircraft.
United, the World's second largest airline, wants to make WiFi-based internet access available on all its flights, after an initial roll......
[more] AirMagnet Announces Laptop-Based Wi-Fi Spectrum Analyzer AirMagnet, the leader in WLAN security and performance solutions, today announced a new laptop-based RF spectrum analysis solution for Wi-Fi networks. The AirMagnet Spectrum Analyzer -- based on Cognio's patented Intelligent Spectrum Management System -- is the industry's first to identify the specific sources of interference that can undermine the performance of wireless networks.
The AirMagnet Spectrum Analyzer complements AirMagnet L......
[more] Man Charged With Stealing Wi-Fi Signal Police have arrested a man for using someone else's wireless Internet network in one of the first criminal cases involving this fairly common practice.
Benjamin Smith III, 41, faces a pretrial hearing this month following his April arrest on charges of unauthorized access to a computer network, a third-degree felony.
Police say Smith admitted using the Wi-Fi signal from the home of Richard Dinon, who had noticed Smith sitting in an SUV outside Dinon's h......
[more] Wireless hacker cut down to size A man has been successfully tried as the U.K's first conviction for using someone else's wireless connection. On Wednesday [July 20] Gregory Straszkiewicz received a 12-month conditional discharge after being found guilty of using bandwidth he did not own.
According to detective inspector Chris Simpson of the London Metropolitan Police Straszkiewicz was the tried under sections 125 and 126 of the Communication Act 2003. In addition he was forced to pay £500 ($8......
[more] Wireless hijacking under scrutiny A recent court case, which saw a West London man fined £500 and sentenced to 12 months' conditional discharge for hijacking a wireless broadband connection, has repercussions for almost every user of wi-fi networks. It is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK, but with an estimated one million wi-fi users around the country, it is unlikely to be the last.
"There are a lot of implications and this could open the floodgates to many more such cases,......
[more] Wireless Noise Hampers DefCon A team of wireless security and performance specialists from AirMagnet today
reported their findings after spending the weekend monitoring wireless network
traffic at DefCon, the self-described "convention for underground hackers." A
representative from the AirMagnet group noted with some surprise that RF
interference from non-Wi-Fi devices seemed to pose the greatest threat to the
conference's wireless networks.
"The wireless attacks we saw--jamming,
de-au......
[more] The Case of the Stolen Wi-Fi Whether you're unwittingly sharing your wireless LAN or poaching, be aware of the risks. Benjamin Smith III and Gregory Straszkiewicz both were arrested for allegedly stealing something no one could see, hear, or feel. That thing was valuable enough for victims to press charges in both cases. But the arrests were over something many consumers throw out their windows every day: a Wi-Fi signal.
The idea of a police car roaring down the street to catch a roving "Doom"......
[more] UK the poor cousin of Europe's business travel UK business people have firmer ties to their desks than their European counterparts, a new survey has found - but a little extra Wi-Fi would help get them out of the actual office.
According to research from Benchmark Reporting, conducted for HP, the Dutch are the keenest to go mobile, with 66 per cent of small businesses executives from the Netherlands saying they regularly travel for businesses.
Just 33 per cent of UK SMEs do the same, almost o......
[more] Wi-Fi faces struggle for mainstream acceptance Consumer electronics vendors are facing the challenge of educating consumers about Wi-Fi wireless networking and to overcome the perception that Wi-Fi is simply a data networking technology, industry experts warned today.
The results of a newly published In-Stat US consumer survey shows that most planned Wi-Fi deployments are designed to support traditional PC-based data networking applications, rather than as a means to delivering consumer entert......
[more] Finns urge better Wi-Fi security after bank break-in Finland calls on its citizens to secure their Wi-Fi networks Finland called on its citizens to take more care securing their Wi-Fi networks after it emerged this week that about €200,000 ($245,400) had been stolen from a local bank using an unprotected home network.
The Helsinki branch of global financing company GE Money called on police to investigate the theft in June. The money, which has since been recovered, was stolen from one of GE......
[more] Canary Wharf gets the Wi-Fi treatment Mobile workers in Docklands will soon be able to get high-speed wireless access from the bars and shops surrounding the UK's highest buildings London's Canary Wharf is set to become Europe's largest Wi-Fi-enabled business district.
The Cloud, which is rolling out public-access wireless networks across the UK, announced on Monday that it is deploying a Wi-Fi network across the estate which is home to companies such as HSBC, Citigroup and the Telegraph Group......
[more] Airline Wi-Fi Hasn't Caught On With Business Travellers Only a quarter of U.S. business travelers are using Wi-Fi hotspots in airports and jetliners, despite the growing availability of the high-speed, wireless connections, a research firm said Tuesday.
The percentage is even lower in the United Kingdom, where 17 percent of business travelers take advantage of the technology, Gartner Inc. said.
The low adoption rate is occurring despite the growing number of hotspots over the last several ye......
[more] AirMagnet Ruggedized Sensors Extend Wireless Security Perimeter Beyond Building Walls AirMagnet, the leader in wireless LAN (WLAN) security and performance solutions, today introduced a new line of ruggedized sensors designed for outdoor and hazardous use -- allowing enterprises to extend a wireless security "perimeter" well beyond building walls. These waterproof, hardened SmartEdge sensors can scan for suspicious wireless activity both indoors and outdoors and are ideal for customers needing......
[more] Global Wi-Fi Hotspot Coverage Approaching 100,000 There will be over 100,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots globally by the end of this year, with Europe and North America beginning to challenge the Asia-Pacific region’s early dominance, according to market research from Informa Telecoms & Media.
According to the company’s Wireless Broadband Analyst series, there were just over 84,000 hotspots operating at the end of the second quarter of this year, with most of the growth still concentrated on th......
[more] Wireless industry comes together for faster Wi-Fi A group of 27 technology companies said on Monday they would collaborate on a new, faster Wi-Fi wireless Internet standard for computers and other portable devices.
The alliance joins previously separated camps that were heading toward separate standards.
It includes some of the biggest wireless chipmakers such as Broadcom and Intel as well as network gear maker Cisco and portable computer makers Lenovo, Sony Corp and Toshiba Corp.
The compa......
[more] Nintendo in McDonald's wi-fi deal Nintendo has joined forces with McDonald's to offer free wireless internet access in the US for its DS handheld games console. The service means McDonald's customers will be able to play selected DS titles against other gamers around the globe.
Rivals Sony and Microsoft already offer online gaming on their game consoles.
Nintendo's online gaming service is due to be launched in the US on 14 November, and then in Europe on 25 November.
'Removing barriers'......
[more] Microsoft creates virtual Wi-Fi Microsoft has developed a technique to allow people to access multiple Wi-Fi networks with a single Wi-Fi card.
Virtual Wi-Fi is designed to improve multitasking, save money on hardware and reduce the power needed for Wi-Fi communications. The software is designed to run with Windows XP.
"The current version of Virtual Wi-Fi allows a user to connect a wireless Lan card to multiple wireless networks," said Microsoft Research in a statement.
"It dynamically ada......
[more] AirMagnet Introduces BlueSweep Utility for Bluetooth AirMagnet, Inc., the leader in wireless LAN (WLAN) security and performance solutions, today introduced its BlueSweep software, designed to identify nearby devices with Bluetooth wireless technology and alert users to potential Bluetooth security risks. The AirMagnet software identifies and tracks devices up to 300 feet away and lets users know what their own Bluetooth devices are doing. BlueSweep runs on laptop computers that support Windows......
[more] 'Wi-Fi' Lands In The Dictionary Wi-Fi is no longer just a wireless technology: it's now an official word, too, because it's included in the new edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary.
Actually Wi-Fi is an acronym -- it's the shorthand version of Wireless Fidelity, although the technology phenomenon that has been sweeping the world is known to millions of users simply as "Wi-Fi."
Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, hailed the inclusion of Wi-Fi in the diction......
[more] Next-gen Wi-Fi standard showdown Vendors race to market with non-standard implementations of high speed 802.11n Battle lines are now being drawn over the next-generation WLAN standard, IEEE 802.11n, which promises speeds of 100Mbps and higher, as well as increased range.
Behind a seemingly innocuous announcement last week of a new wireless router from Netgear lies a major WLAN industry schism that pits the likes of Cisco, Intel, and Sony against Nokia , Texas Instruments , and Airgo Networks,......
[more] AirMagnet's WLAN analyzer goes remote The latest version of a wireless LAN analyzer from AirMagnet announced Monday, allows remote scanning over any LAN or Internet connection and can run on a Centrino-equipped laptop without a separate Wi-Fi card.
AirMagnet Laptop Analyzer is software that roving network administrators and installers can load on a notebook PC and use to study activity on an enterprise wireless LAN. Among other things, it can detect radio wave interference and security violati......
[more] Solar-powered streetlights to offer wi-fi net access A Scottish university is trialling solar-powered streetlights which will also deliver wi-fi internet access.
The 'Project Starsight' technology is being tested as part of a deal between Compliance Technology (CTL) and the Abertay Centre for the Environment (ACE) at the University of Abertay in Dundee.
The solar panels provide a free energy source for the streetlight and also for the wi-fi or WiMax connection.
Calum McRae, head of CTL Scotl......
[more] MPs demand wi-fi access in Houses of Parliament 'I can work at Caffè Nero but not here' Wireless internet access should be installed in parts of the Houses of Parliament to allow MPs access to information on the move.
A report by the House of Commons Administration Committee is calling for secure wireless access after it found that some new MPs struggled to work before they were given office space.
The report said: "We recommend that wireless internet access should be provided in those areas l......
[more] McAfee president jumps to Websense McAfee President Gene Hodges has resigned to take the chief executive post at rival security company Websense, the companies announced separately Tuesday. Hodges, whose resignation is effective immediately, marks the latest case of a high-level executive jumping to a competitor. Websense provides Web-filtering security software, while McAfee, predominately known as an antivirus company, has been rapidly expanding its footprint into new areas of the security ma......
[more] Industry group agrees on high-speed Wi-Fi proposal An industry group seeking common ground on the emerging IEEE 802.11n high-speed wireless LAN specification has agreed on a compromise proposal that may form the basis of a final standard.
The joint proposal group, which includes backers of all the major factions in the fight over how to boost the speed and range of WLANs, late Wednesday approved a proposal by a unanimous online vote with two abstentions, according to Bill McFarland, CTO at At......
[more] Is Your Laptop Connecting to a Malicious Wi-Fi Network? Microsoft downplays Windows Wi-Fi 'anomaly' reported this week. Exploiting a design flaw in Windows XP and Windows 2003 systems with built-in wireless capabilities, hackers could lure Wi-Fi users into connecting to malicious wireless networks, according to Microsoft, which recently completed an investigation of the issue.
Mark Loveless, a senior researcher at Vernier Networks in Mountain View, California, raised questions about the flaw la......
[more] 802.11n spec ready for first vote The first draft of the Wi-Fi 802.11nspec will finally be voted on this week, after much wrangling between opposing interests of members in the IEEE.
The compromise draft, created by a joint sub-committee, is expected to pass, according to Bill McFarland, a member of the IEEE and CTO at Atheros.
The original debate divided the group into two camps. Some believed that ratification of the specification was taking too long, causing the EWC (Enhanced Wireless Cons......
[more] Race kicks off for next-gen 802.11n Wi-Fi Vendors off the starting blocks The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has finally voted to accept the proposed next-generation 802.11n Wi-Fi standard developed by the Enhanced Wireless Consortium.
The proposed 802.11n standard will enable higher performance wireless local area networking, supporting speeds of up to 600Mbps with greater range than existing Wi-Fi technologies.
Two US vendors, Broadcom and Marvell, were both quick o......
[more] London loses top Wi-Fi status Seoul takes the crown as worldwide wireless networks hit 100,000 mark London has lost its place as the city with the most Wi-Fi hotspots, according to a recent survey.
Wi-Fi mapping company JiWire found in January 2005 that London, New York and Paris were the top three cities. By the start of this year London had 1,627 hotspots placing it behind Seoul at 2,056 and Tokyo at 1,802.
The same survey found that the number of worldwide hotspots grew 87 per cent last yea......
[more] Gartner urges 802.11n Wi-Fi restraint Next-gen Wi-Fi will not truly be ready until 2007, analyst firm warns Companies should stay away from next-generation Wi-Fi equipment described as 802.11n compliant, Gartner has warned.
"Plan to stay with Wi-Fi certified products under the 802.11a/b/g banner. Expect these technology investments to be good for at least four more years," a group of three Gartner analysts recommended, adding that 802.11n should not be considered until 2007.
The forthcoming 8......
[more] Global wi-fi plan gets $22m boost Heavyweight firms such as Google and internet telephony outfit Skype are to invest in an embryonic plan to share wi-fi access around the world. They have joined with venture capital firms to plough $22m (£12.6m) into Fon, a three-month-old Spanish startup.
Fon, which has already attracted 3,000 subscribers, aims to build a network of broadband users to share connections wirelessly when away from home.
A recent survey showed that few laptop owners use wi-fi......
[more] 'Wi-fi poses huge legal risk', warns City lawyer A leading City law firm has warned companies they could face huge legal costs if they fail to protect their staff and their business against the threats which lie in wait for users of public wi-fi networks.
The UK has not seen any litigation along these lines but law firm Charles Russell has warned it may only be a matter of time if companies do not get on top of the problem of staff accessing business critical systems and sending unsecured data......
[more] Schools give WiMax and wi-fi top marks Spending on wireless leaps... Schools are turning to wireless networks - especially WiMax - as a more cost effective way of providing internet access to more locations.
As a result, global spend on mobile and wireless by education authorities will rise from $827m last year to a healthy $6.5bn by 2010, according to predictions from Juniper Research.
This figure includes the spending on handheld and portable wireless devices, hardware, software and services......
[more] The City of London To Get Wi-Fi The City of London Corporation has announced plans to install a dense and comprehensive Wi-Fi internet network throughout London's Square Mile in partnership with The Cloud, Europe's largest Wi-Fi network, which will install and manage the project.It's expected to go live in the next few months, with virtually all the City covered within six months. The network will use existing street furniture, including lamp posts and street signs, so users with Wi-Fi-enabled......
[more] Security fears over London's blanket Wi-Fi Security company McAfee on Tuesday raised security concerns over the City of London's plan to install a Wi-Fi network throughout the Square Mile. The system will be constructed by The Cloud, and should give most of The City's workers always-on wireless access within six months.The Wi-Fi network will be installed in existing street furniture including lamp posts and street signs, and will "allow City workers and visitors with Wi-Fi enabled devices......
[more] AirMagnet Achieves Three Industry "Firsts" in Wireless Security and Performance Monitoring AirMagnet Inc., the leader in wireless LAN (WLAN) security and performance solutions, announced version 7.0 of its flagship Enterprise product, which earlier this month was named one of Information Security's Products of the Year, and two weeks ago was named Best Wireless Security Solution and Best Overall Network Security Solution of 2005 by SC Magazine. The new AirMagnet Enterprise is the world's first......
[more] University bans wi-fi over health fears A Canadian university has announced it is limiting wi-fi on campus due to "health and security" fears.The president of Lakehead University, Fred Gilbert, recently took the decision to use wired internet connections rather than wi-fi as he believes health risks associated with the technology are yet to be entirely disproved.Gilbert reportedly said while he remains president of the university, the college will not adopt wi-fi - citing the existenc......
[more] AirMagnet upgrades will improve WLAN security AirMagnet has released an upgraded version of its enterprise platform that offers new security features, as well as performance monitoring and event analysis capabilities.The company said that its Enterprise 7.0 software supported new wireless sensors that could monitor and analyse the radio frequency (RF) spectrum for interference by non-Wi-Fi devices such as cordless phones and Bluetooth devices."Traditional sensors capture wireless packets o......
[more] What future for the wireless Square Mile? Which applications will prove a hit for the City wi-fi users? The City of London has taken the wraps off an ambitious project that will see the Square Mile entirely connected by wi-fi access.For City workers and tourists alike, the project will mean continuous wi-fi access from an area stretching from Blackfriars Bridge to the Fann Street Wildlife Garden and Liverpool Street station.The City wi-fi project will be a five-year collaboration between the Cor......
[more] Wi-fi promises internet shake-up There is a good reason why the biggest wi-fi zones in the UK are in the City of London and Canary Wharf, with widespread wireless access being touted as the force behind the net's next wave of innovation. The first wave centred around the dotcom boom of the late 1990s when lucrative domains were snapped up, fledgling web businesses were established and everyone got dizzy on the potential of this new medium. Some of that potential is starting to be seen now in wh......
[more] 802.11n - what really happened? Who was strong-arming whom? Last year a group of companies attempted an end run around the IEEE committee developing the next-generation wireless LAN standard, 802.11n. Its goal was to obtain a time-to-market advantage over the one firm that has successfully commercialised the advanced technology central to 802.11n. The industry rebuffed this maneuvre. A quick review of 802.11n is in order. The 802.11n Task Group was established to identify a WLAN technology capa......
[more] Doubts raised over Wimax's future A wireless technology known as Wimax could bring broadband to rural areas, says a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The OECD report looked at the prospects for Wimax, a technology widely touted as one to beat both wi-fi and third-generation mobile networks. But, says the report, regulatory, security and spectrum problems may limit the widespread use of Wimax. Instead, Wimax may find niche uses such as in remote areas. Faster......
[more] UK airports' wi-fi flying high Business travellers should prepare themselves for an extra connectivity boost - BAA has announced it will be rolling out wi-fi access across six of its airports this month.Stanstead airport was the first to go live earlier this week and will be followed this month by five other airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Southampton.Travellers will be able to get wireless internet access in both arrivals and departures, as well as in public seating and sho......
[more] 802.11w fills wireless security holes IEEE 802.11i, the standard behind Wi-Fi Protected Access and WPA 2, patched the holes in the original Wired Equivalent Privacy specification by introducing new cryptographic algorithms to protect data traveling across a wireless network. Now, the 802.11w task group is looking at extending the protection beyond data to management frames, which perform the core operations of a network. Traditionally, management frames did not contain sensitive information and......
[more] Half of business travelers worried by hotspot security More than half of all business travelers are still concerned about security levels offered by wireless, according to a global survey Public Wi-Fi hotspots, in places such as airports, hotels, railway stations and coffee bars, have been available for some time, but 55 percent of respondents claimed they still have concerns about data security. Nearly a third (30 percent) of the 150,000 people polled by the survey, conducted by wireless ISP iB......
[more] AirMagnet Rolls Out Voice-Over-Wi-Fi Analysis Tool The network analysis tool helps network managers detect voice problems over wireless networks. AirMagnet today announced the AirMagnet VoFi Analyzer, a network analysis tool that helps network managers detect voice problems over wireless networks. The VoFi Analyzer detects problems in real time, includes alarms and real-time statistical analysis, and uncovers roots causes. Its includes quality of service (QoS) features for seamless roaming, jitt......
[more] Central Park to be wireless hub New York has announced plans to expand free wireless internet connections into Central Park and other public places across the city. Officials estimate that the new system will be up and running by the summer and will attract thousands of outdoor computer users. For the ever growing number of on-the-move New Yorkers addicted to laptops and PDAs, this is good news. Many have grown used to paying for wi-fi connections in New York's cafes. Now, though, they will be......
[more] Wireless boost for British cities A BT project aims to give a dozen UK cities widespread wi-fi coverage. The telecoms giant has signed deals with 12 councils to fit wi-fi antenna to street furniture to create broad zones where people can get untethered access to the net. The first trials of the wi-fi zones are complete and BT aims to have the first six in use by early 2007. People will be able to access the service using pay-as-you-go vouchers or subscribe for longer term use. Widespread wi-fi U......
[more] 802.11n works - and could be extended While the delivery of draft 802.11n products may be controversial, Broadcom has shown that its Intesi-fi draft 802.11n fast wireless chipset works - and promised it would upgrade to the standard. At the Wireless Event in London this week, the company showed a Buffalo access point achieving 120 Mbit/s actual throughput, supporting two TV streams, one of which was high-definition. "It will be a firmware upgrade to full 802.11n," said Gordon Lindsay,......
[more] UK sales of Wi-Fi equipment soar Sales of Wi-Fi equipment have rocketed over the past year as consumers flock to adopt the technology, according to a recent report.Research from analyst firm GfK revealed that sales of wireless routers increased 108 per cent in the first quarter of 2006 compared to the same period in 2005.Some 380,000 units were sold over the three-month period, worth a total of £24m. Similarly, sales of wireless cards increased by 87 per cent year on year to 525,000 units......
[more] Milton Keynes to be UK's first wireless city Milton Keynes hopes to be the first UK city to offer free wireless internet access throughout its city centre.The service, which will go live on 1 August, will initially cover the area from Milton Keynes Central Station up to Midsummer Place in the retail district, with the entire city centre going live within three to six months.The service is being launched by wireless communications company Briteyellow in partnership with Invest Milton Keynes, usi......
[more] Wi-fi: Coming soon on board U.S. airplanes Air travelers starved for in-flight Internet access may soon find solace, thanks to a Colorado company that wants to offer Wi-fi service aloft. AirCell said Monday that it plans to use a newly acquired radio spectrum license to offer "affordable" broadband service aboard commercial airplanes. Formed in 1991, the company already sells satellite-based voice and data services to the general aviation sector, primarily the corporate jet set. In th......
[more] Researchers hack Wi-Fi driver to breach laptop One of many flaws found allowed them to take over a laptop by exploiting a bug in an 802.11 wireless driver Security researchers have found a way to seize control of a laptop computer by manipulating buggy code in the system's wireless device driver. The hack will be demonstrated at the upcoming Black Hat USA 2006 conference during a presentation by David Maynor, a research engineer with Internet Security Systems and Jon Ellch, a student at the U.S.......
[more] Taipei's city-wide Wi-Fi passes test A number of cities around the world have boasted of plans to roll out Wi-Fi networks to make life easier for their citizens. But Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, is the first city to actually do it, according to Wi-Fi hot spot directory JiWire, which flew a crew in to test the system. "Taipei is the world's largest," JiWire CEO Kevin McKenzie said Tuesday. He said members of his team traveled around the city testing out the network, making......
[more] Wi-fi mobiles to be flying high by 2010? Sales of mobile phones with both cellular and wi-fi capability will be booming by 2010, according to a study by market research company In-Stat.Wi-fi is widely used by consumers to connect their PCs and certain handheld devices to the internet but until very recently wi-fi has been absent from the world of mobile phones.Cellular service providers initially saw wi-fi as a threat to sales of cellular data services such as weather reports and stock quotes.......
[more] Wi-Fi Is More Popular Than iPods Wireless networking is more popular than the ubiquitous iPod, and even more popular than the home telephone, according to a new study by the Wi-Fi Alliance.In a study conducted with Kelton Research, the Alliance found that almost 80% of survey respondents said that they would rather give up their iPods rather than their home wireless local area networks. In comparison, only 21% chose Apple's high-tech music box over their wireless networks. Respondents chose Wi-......
[more] Dell launches unapproved 802.11n Wi-Fi card Dell has launched a wireless card that promises to boost network speeds to 270 Mbps.The card will be available as an optional expansion on XPS and select Inspiron notebooks for $59.The Dell Wireless 1500 Draft 802.11n dual-band wireless card offers backward compatibility with the existing 802.11a, b and g wireless standards. The card is made by Broadcom.The computer maker touted that the high speed wireless technology would enable new applications suc......
[more] Wi-Fi phones ring changes in telephony sector The global Wi-Fi phone market is poised to enjoy stellar growth this year as enterprises and consumers ramp up voice over wireless Lan deployments.Data published today by Infonetics Research suggests that the Wi-Fi telephony sector jumped 116 per cent between 2004 and 2005 to $125.5m, and is projected to more than double in 2006. Infonetics predicted that Wi-Fi phone revenue will more or less double, and even nearly triple, every year through 2009,......
[more] Skype to introduce Wi-Fi phones Four manufacturers plan to offer handsets for VoIP telephony service this quarter. Open wireless Internet hot spots will soon serve as virtual phone booths, as four manufacturers plan to introduce Wi-Fi handsets for Skype's popular VoIP telephony service this quarter.The phones can be used at open Wi-Fi access points that do not require browser authentication, and come preloaded with Skype software, Skype said Thursday. The move is designed to give Skype users the......
[more] Wi-fi boost plan for rural areas Rural areas could benefit from proposals to boost the power of signals used in wi-fi networks. Regulator Ofcom wants to deliver broadband access to parts of the UK with no high-speed internet. James Saunders, chief marketing officer of wi-fi firm The Cloud, said the plans could bring broadband to rural areas for the first time. Limitations on the strength of wi-fi signals make it expensive to deploy such networks outside of urban areas. Mr Saunders said: "W......
[more] New Wi-Fi standard delayed again The long-awaited next-generation Wi-Fi standard has been delayed again and won't likely be ratified until sometime in 2008. The new standard that will allow notebook users to connect to wireless access points at much faster speeds than is currently available was expected to be finalized later this year. In January, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) approved a draft version of the standard called 802.11n, after much controversy and infig......
[more] AirMagnet Sets Standard for Mobile Workforce Security AirMagnet Inc., the award-winning leader in wireless network assurance, has set a new standard for secure Wi-Fi with its introduction of AirMagnet StreetWISE, a family of professional endpoint security software products developed specifically for the enterprise. Unlike existing wireless endpoint products -- which savvy workers render useless by disabling or removing them, connecting to unsecured networks and exposing confidential corporate d......
[more] MacBook Wi-Fi hack exposed A claimed security hole in Apple's MacBook has been exposed as a misrepresentation. Earlier this month, a researcher at SecureWorks said he had revealed a vulnerability in the laptop's wireless software driver that would allow him to take control of the machine. There was a vulnerability but it was exploited by using a third-party wireless driver rather than the one that ships with the MacBook. "Despite SecureWorks being quoted saying the Mac is threatened by the......
[more] UK to get first city with high-speed WiMax coverage A British city known for its concrete cows is set to become one of the most technologically advanced in Britain after it said it would be the first UK town to boast a high-speed WiMax wireless broadband network. Telecoms firm Pipex, in a joint venture with chip maker Intel, is to blanket parts of Milton Keynes with WiMax, a medium-range sibling of the popular Wi-Fi technology covering kilometers rather than meters. Both use radio fr......
[more] Intel Wi-Fi software hogs PC memory A software update for Intel wireless hardware is faulty and can hog PC memory, Intel acknowledged Thursday. A fix is due on Friday. The problem affects the Intel PROSet software version 10.5, Amy Martin, an Intel spokeswoman, said. The PROSet software accompanies Intel's drivers that run the company's wireless hardware on PCs. "One of the processes used by the Intel PROSet software was not releasing the (file) handles correctly, which caused more and mor......
[more] Wi-Fi Alliance to certify pre-802.11n kit The Wi-Fi Alliance has promised to certify interoperability of Wi-Fi products that include features from the unratified IEEE 802.11n standard in the first half of 2007.The IEEE recently updated its estimated timeline for ratification of a full 802.11n standard, and is now targeting the first quarter of 2008 for final approval. However, Wi-Fi products implementing features from the draft specification are in the market now, and analysts forecast that ten......
[more] Norwich pioneers free city wi-fi Norwich is pioneering a free wi-fi project which covers three sectors of the UK city and its centre. The £1.1m, 18-month pilot has been live for three weeks and is backed by the East of England Development Agency. Paul Adams, from Norfolk county council said: "It allows people to see the benefit of wireless technology." The city centre, county hall and educational establishments such as the university all have wi-fi access. Mr Adams, director of c......
[more] California Considers Wi-Fi Protection Bill California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is considering a bill that would require manufacturers of wireless routers to warn buyers against failing to secure their networks. The bill, written by Calif. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, tries to prevent an intruder from "piggybacking" on someone else's Wi-Fi Internet connection. Studies show many consumers configure routers without implementing security mechanisms to prevent unauthoriz......
[more] WiFi network planner uses Google Earth A new version of the Survey planner tool from AirMagnet will let network designers networks include building plans, and then use the survey data to improve the coverage in the real world. "Some other tools use detailed modelling, which may take weeks and weeks to set up model, using CAD drawings," said Wade Williamson, AirMagnet product manager. "Ours is definitely a more economical approach in time and money." Detailed modelling often......
[more] Hacker conference shows Wi-Fi woes This year's DEFCON was a lively one for wireless security. Probably the most significant event in the wireless realm was Johnny "Cache" Ellch's and David Maynor's presentation on wireless driver vulnerabilities. This talk was presented at Blackhat by the duo a couple days earlier For those who were skeptical about what a vulnerability in a wireless driver can allow, the demonstration proved to be an eye opener. In the demonstration Maynor was able to......
[more] Wi-Fi guidance becomes law in California California legislators have passed a law which will force makers of wireless internet equipment to include guidance on keeping data secure on wireless connections. The law now awaits signature by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.From 1 October 2007, manufacturers must place warning labels on all equipment capable of receiving Wi-Fi signals, according to the new state law. These can take the form of box stickers, special notification in setup software, noti......
[more] AirMagnet Redefines the Wireless Site Survey AirMagnet Inc., the leader in wireless network assurance, released AirMagnet Planner, the most significant enhancement ever to the AirMagnet Survey product line. AirMagnet Planner is a RF planning and wireless LAN design solution that offers unrivaled cost advantages and ease of use. This new solution is available as a stand-alone product or as a fully integrated option for the newly released AirMagnet Survey 4.0. The AirMagnet Planner enables enterp......
[more] California Wi-Fi law waits on governor's signature After passing through California's state legislature, a law requiring wireless local area network (LAN) vendors to warn customers about security configurations now awaits Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's consideration.Written by state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles), the new law will require manufacturers of WLAN products to advise consumers to use a password to protect their networks before use. The law allows manufacturers to protec......
[more] Hacker threat to Sony PlayStation Portable Sony's PlayStation Portable handheld console could be infected by malicious code using a buffer overflow vulnerability, according to a warning from an antivirus company.Panda Software said that proof-of-concept code already exists that exploits this flaw and works on all versions of PSP firmware that can view TIFF files. "The vulnerability is particularly dangerous as it could be exploited through malicious code programmed for this purpose or......
[more] Wireless Security: The Standards Are Out There But not all enterprises are embracing them - yet That's the take of new research from market watcher In-Stat, which says the actual usage of strong security mechanisms in enterprise WLAN deployments continues to lag -- in spite of the ratification and availability of key wireless standards. The good news, In-Stat researchers say, is that this situation should soon change, mostly because enterprises are becoming increasingly dependent on wireless and......
[more] Skype to release Symbian client by year end Skype software compatible with the Symbian mobile phone operating system will hit the market by the end of the year, despite rumors that Skype had halted development of the product, an executive said during the Symbian Smartphone Show in London. "Hopefully before Christmas we can satisfy a lot of questions about where Skype is on mobile phones," said Eric Lagier, head of mobile development at Skype, on Tuesday. Recent reports describing the......
[more] AirMagnet to Share Industry Leading Strategies for Successfully Deploying VoWLAN at Mobile Business Expo AirMagnet, the award-winning leader in wireless network assurance, will discuss the challenges impacting enterprise voice-over-WLAN (VoWLAN) deployments and its proactive resolutions at Mobile Business Expo in a panel entitled "Voice Over WLAN: The Next Network Infrastructure Challenge," taking place from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, November 3, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.......
[more] Hackers hunt for Apple Wi-Fi flaws The security of Apple Computer's wireless drivers is under scrutiny again, thanks to a new hacker project. On Wednesday HD Moore posted code that exploits a flaw in the Proxim Wireless Orinoco wireless cards used by PowerBook and iMac computers built between 1999 and 2003, according to Moore. Apple said the issue "affects a small percentage of previous generation AirPort enabled Macs and does not affect currently shipping or AirPort Extreme enabled Macs,&......
[more] 802.11n will change the enterprise As a proposed wireless standard for high-throughput enhancements, 802.11n has been viewed primarily as a consumer technology. However, 802.11n has key applications applicable to the enterprise and is widely expected to drive the next generation of deployments.Enterprise-class, bandwidth-intensive applications like ERP and CRM systems, workgroup computing applications, and some wireless backhaul applications require throughputs larger than current 802.11 techno......
[more] Heathrow Express to get connected with wi-fi All Heathrow Express trains will be wi-fi enabled by early 2007, providing broadband access to passengers for the entire journey.The wi-fi offering, to be provided by T-Mobile, will enable passengers to access the internet at speeds of up to 8Mbps via WiMax and HSDPA technology en route to the world's busiest international airport.Jay Saw, hotspot manager at T-Mobile UK, told silicon.com wi-fi users will be required to buy an access pass to get onlin......
[more] Wi-Fi hardware holed by security flaw Windows computers are open to direct attack from a hole in the widely-used Broadcom Wi-Fi driver, security researchers have warned. The flaw was publicised as part of the Month of Kernel Bugs (MoKB) project organised by researcher HD Moore. According to the MoKB advisory, the Broadcom BCMWL5.SYS driver is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow that could allow kernel-mode execution of malicious code. The volunteer Zeroday Emergency Response Team (ZERT)......
[more] Some British schools dismantle Wi-Fi over health fears Some British parents and teachers are pressuring public schools to ban and even dismantle Wi-Fi nets in public schools, because of health concerns. The move, reported in a story by The Times, could spark a debate over the evidence or lack of it that electromagnetic emissions, in this case, from 801.11 radios can be harmful.Any such debate will send a shock through wireless LAN vendors, for whom the education market is a critical growth area......
[more] Is Wi-Fi bad for your health? The U.K. Department of Health appears to have been wrong-footed by a member of parliament who called for an investigation into whether Wi-Fi networks pose a danger to health. Ian Gibson, former chairman of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, last week called for the Health Department to set up an inquiry into the potential dangers of Wi-Fi communications. He said the threat should be seriously examined and that another inquiry should be carried ou......
[more] Cities spar over metro Wi-Fi claims UK cities are expanding their plans for Wi-Fi - but each accuse the others of betraying the dream of free, open access. Bristol has signed up with Cityspace to extend a 3km zone which offers free Wi-Fi to all comers, and supports council workers. Islington is extending its Technology Mile, which covers the A1 road, also with Cityspace. Meanwhile Westminster is leading BT's plan for twelve Wireless Cities, announced in May. The scheme extends a BT system using......
[more] Wi-fi radiation claims take government by surprise The Department of Health appears to have been wrong-footed by an MP who called for an investigation into whether wi-fi networks pose a danger to health.Dr Ian Gibson, former chairman of the Commons Science and Technology Committee, last week called for the Department of Health to set up an inquiry into the apparent dangers of wi-fi communications.He said that the threat should be seriously examined and that another inquiry should be carried out......
[more] Christmas Decorations Can Affect Wi-Fi Reception AirMagnet has published the results of a recently conducted survey measuring wireless signal strength in a standard office setting both before and after introducing a change in the office environment - Christmas Decorations. While decorations are relatively commonplace at this time of year and might seem innocuous, as with any change introduced to a wireless environment, it's difficult to predict how new elements might affect wireless performance......
[more] Weigh the pros and cons of VoIP over wireless Voice over IP (VoIP) technology allows companies to cut the telco cord and make phone calls over the internet. Now, with VoIP over wireless - also called VoW, VoWiFi, wVoIP, and a number of other acronyms - organisations can cut all the cords. Numerous vendors are offering Wi-Fi IP phones that operate on the same 802.11 technologies used for wireless networks.According to a study from Infonetics Research, sales of Wi-Fi IP phones will likely reach $3......
[more] Microsoft Patches Windows XP Wireless, Tells No One The patch is designed to make surfing public wireless hotspots safer by reducing the chance of "man-in-the-middle" attacks. Microsoft quietly posted a Windows XP SP2 patch to make surfing public wireless hotspots safer, but did not include it with the December security updates released Tuesday and has not posted it as a download from Microsoft Update. The update fixes a long-standing security problem in Windows XP SP2, which starts an automati......
[more] Wi-Fi body to simplify security setup Wi-Fi certification group, the Wi-Fi Alliance, is set to announce a new security specification which aims to make it easier to secure wireless LANs. The body is set to announce its WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) specification, which lays out an easier process for setting up a secure wireless LAN. The group will also reveal the first devices certified under WPS, though it will take a few more months for consumer products to reach store shelves. Wi-Fi security h......
[more] Fast Wi-Fi standard ready for vote A completed draft of the 802.11n fast Wi-Fi standard could be ready to vote on this week - signalling greater acceptance and a flood of products later this year. The IEEE fast Wi-Fi standard, which will operate at up to 200 Mbit/s, is expected to take a significant step closer to reality this week, when the Task Group N in the IEEE's 802.11 LAN Working Group completes a draft which can be voted on, according to Glenn Fleishman of Wi-Fi Net News. "The IEEE......
[more] Singapore judge sentences teen for Wi-Fi hack A Singaporean teenager who used his neighbour's Wi-Fi connection without permission has been given an 18-month suspended sentence.Garyl Tan Jia Luo, 17, was also sentenced to 80 hours community service after he was found guilty of breaking Singapore's Computer Misuse Act.He faces a possible sentence of up to three years and fine of 10,000 Singapore dollars (£3,300) if he reoffends.Senior District Judge Bala Reddy cited a probation report sayin......
[more] Apple to charge for faster Wi-Fi Some MacBook Pro and MacBook customers have the faster 802.11n Wi-Fi chip already sitting in their systems, but it will cost $2 to light it up. Apple on Thursday confirmed reports that it plans to charge customers a fee to download software that will enable the 802.11n capability in the Wi-Fi chips found in some MacBook and MacBook Pro systems. But it won't cost $5, as many reports indicated. It will cost $1.99, and will be available on Apple's Web site, said Ly......
[more] Wireless-N receives unanimous vote The IEEE 802.11n fast Wi-Fi standard has reached its second draft ahead of schedule, opening the way for Draft N branding as soon as March, and possible firmware upgrades for existing devices. Products can't be called "802.11n compliant" until the standard is formally approved, but few changes are now expected before the final standard emerges. Approved by the 802.11n working group, Draft 2.0 must now get approval from the IEEE membership, to form th......
[more] Apple closes another Wi-Fi hole Apple late on Thursday released a security update to plug a publicly known security hole in its AirPort product. The update fixes a vulnerability that affects both the server and client versions of Mac OS X, Apple said in its alert. The problem was disclosed in November as part of the Month of Kernel Bugs campaign. An attacker could exploit the flaw over a wireless network by sending malicious data to a vulnerable Mac, Apple said. "An attacker in local proxim......
[more] AirMagnet Secures U.S. Patent for Detecting Hidden WLAN Users AirMagnet Inc. has been issued U.S. Patent No. 7,130,289 for creating a method to expose hidden nodes in a wireless LAN (WLAN) environment. CTO Chia-Chee Kuan, as well as chief architect Miles Wu, and president and CEO Dean Au, developed the patented technology as a core component of wireless analysis to proactively identify and explain security and performance threats."The awarding of this patent is significant for AirMagnet be......
[more] AirMagnet bids to analyse Cisco WLAN analysis outfit AirMagnet has brought out software designed to work with Cisco's Unified Wireless Network. AirMagnet already has a version of the tool, which is called Enterprise Analyzer, for Aruba's Mobile Edge Architecture.Enterprise Analyzer for Cisco uses existing Cisco lightweight access points as sniffers to collect live network traffic data across all the Wi-Fi channels and analyse it for performance issues. At its core is signature detection softwar......
[more] Wireless users 'do more online' People who use wireless internet "show deeper engagement with cyberspace," according to an American study. While 54% of internet users check e-mail "on the typical day," 72% of wireless users check daily. Just under half of wireless users get news online every day, compared to 31% of internet users at large. The Pew Internet and American Life Project survey asked 798 US internet users about their wireless habits and sampled almost 2,300 people overall.......
[more] Business Internet Users Go Wireless According to a new Pew Internet & American Life Project study, one-third of Internet users have used a wireless connection around the house, at their workplace, or some place else. Analysts expect that group to grow in Corporate America in the coming years as Wi-Fi security gets stronger and coverage range improves. Users who access Internet-based e-mail and search the Web from their BlackBerries or other mobile PDAs were among those who responded to the......
[more] Your Wi-Fi can tell people a lot about you Simply booting up a Wi-Fi-enabled laptop can tell people sniffing wireless network traffic a lot about your computer--and about you Soon after a computer powers up, it starts looking for wireless networks and network services. Even if the wireless hardware is then shut-off, a snoop may already have caught interesting data. Much more information can be plucked out of the air if the computer is connected to an access point, in particular an access point w......
[more] 802.11n Wi-Fi draft approved by IEEE Draft 2.0 of the 802.11n wireless-networking standard has been approved by an IEEE working group. The move means that 'draft 2.0' 100+Mbps (megabits per second) wireless LAN products could be on sale as early as summer 2007. Around 83 percent of working group members approved the draft, more than the 75 percent votes. The vote suggests that after more than a year of often acrimonious debate, members of the group have finally got together behind the core tech......
[more] Thames becomes giant wi-fi hotspot The River Thames in London has been turned into a giant wi-fi hotspot that can be used by anyone with a wireless device on the river or along its banks.The wireless broadband internet access stretches for 22km along the Thames from the Millennium Dome out in Greenwich up to Millbank by the Houses of Parliament, and will be extended further over the next two months.The Thames Online service uses mesh networking technology across 100 access points, allowing user......
[more] Thank you Superhacker, you saved my computer Many people leave their Wi-Fi link unsecured, leaving them open to fraud. But a new breed of ‘ethical hackers’ is helping, says Joseph Dunn Peter Booth was minding his own business last Sunday afternoon at home in Kippax, near Leeds, when the knock on the door came. On his porch was Andrew Mason, 6ft 4in and dressed in a black T-shirt. He was holding a laptop and a strange antenna that resembled a Pringle crisps tin on a stick. "Your computer has......
[more] Mexico City to be one, giant Wi-Fi hotspot by 2008 All of Mexico City will be one free, wireless Internet hotspot by 2008, Mayor Marcelo Ebrard announced Monday.The project "will accelerate the technological development of the city," Ebrard said after signing a contract with the Chinese telecoms and networking giant ZTE.The project began as a hook-up for security cameras around the Mexican capital, he said. "Why connect 4,000 cameras with fiber (optic cable) if everyone has wirel......
[more] Two cautioned over wi-fi 'theft' Two people have been cautioned for using people's wi-fi broadband internet connections without permission. Neighbours in Redditch, Worcestershire, contacted police on Saturday after seeing a man inside a car using a laptop while parked outside a house. He was arrested and cautioned. A woman was arrested in similar circumstances in the town earlier this month. BBC Midlands Today correspondent Dr David Gregory said the cases are among the first of their kind. He a......
[more] Warning over rogue wi-fi security risk Rogue and insecure wi-fi access points are increasingly posing a threat to the security of corporate networks.One of the main worries about wireless security is users unwittingly accessing insecure or malicious wireless networks when they are out of the office, according to a survey this week. And 10 out of the 12-strong silicon.com CIO Jury IT user panel agreed that wi-fi security is a major concern.Gavin Whatrup, group IT director at marketing services c......
[more] Wi-fi success in the City not all about Cloud density The City of London's wi-fi network, which launched today, is one of the densest citywide wireless networks in the world.According to wireless broadband provider The Cloud, which has built and will now maintain the network, it is the most comprehensive in Europe.The mesh network covers London's Square Mile using 127 broadband nodes built into street furniture - such as lampposts and street signs - across the city. A mesh network can make conn......
[more] Oxford commuters get wi-fi boost The Oxford Tube will now offer coach commuters the chance to get online thanks to a wi-fi/3G connectivity combo.The commuter service, which carries passengers between Oxford and central London and is operated by Stagecoach, has rolled out wi-fi to its 25 vehicles using a wi-fi and a 3G network - the former supplied by Moovera Networks, the latter by mobile operator Vodafone.The service is on offer to Oxford Tube passengers following a three-month trial, which sa......
[more] Preview: Infosecurity Europe 2007 IT security professionals, policemen and politicians will all be flocking to the largest annual security event in Europe this week. On Tuesday, Infosecurity Europe 2007 will kick off at the exhibition hall at London's Kensington Olympia. With over 330 exhibitors, 150 of whom will be showcasing new products, this year's show promises to be as lively as ever. In the opening keynote, Lord Broers will discuss the results of the House of Lords Science and Technology......
[more] 'Evil twin' Wi-Fi access points proliferate There is little consumers can do to protect themselves from hackers eavesdropping on wireless communications The next time you splurge on a double latte and sip it while browsing the Internet via the cafe's Wi-Fi, beware of the "evil twin." That's the term for a Wi-Fi access point that appears to be a legitimate one offered on the premises, but actually has been set up by a hacker to eavesdrop on wireless communications among Internet surfer......
[more] Wi-fi laptop fears for children Computers with wireless internet should not be placed on children's laps, says the head of the government's committee on mobile phone safety research. Professor Lawrie Challis told the Daily Telegraph children using wi-fi networks should be monitored until research into potential health risks is completed. He says children should keep a safe distance from the embedded antennas. The Health Protection Agency has said wi-fi devices are of very low power - much lower......
[more] Do you know what's leaking out of your browser? Information seeping out of your Web browser could provide a gold mine for hackers doing reconnaissance for targeted attacks.At the ToorCon Seattle (beta) conference, Web application security specialist Robert Hansen (RSnake) demoed Mr-T (Master Recon-Tool), a new utility that combines information disclosure flaws in Internet Explorer and Firefox to collect information on a target's computer system.For a basic idea of the kinds of information your......
[more] Wi-Fi group to certify gear in June The next generation of wireless Internet products certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance is expected to hit shelves this summer, even though a final standard for the technology isn't due for another year, the industry group says. The Wi-Fi Alliance was announcing Wednesday that it will begin certifying wireless routers, networking cards, microchips and other so-called "Draft N" products in June. The products, which take their name from the upcoming 802.11n......
[more] Wireless security 2007 Unraveling the confusion about wireless standards is no mean feat. Justin Peltier takes a look at the latest crop of products in the field of wireless security management.Wireless networks are not about to go away any time soon. The convenience of losing the copper tether and gaining the ability to roam from one end of a campus to another without re-authenticating is just too practical. In the earlier days of wireless networks, the security controls were riddled with flaw......
[more] Wi-fi health fears are 'unproven' Scientists have said there is no evidence to suggest a link between the use of wi-fi and damage to health. BBC programme Panorama found that radiation levels from wi-fi in one school was up to three times the level of mobile phone mast radiation. The readings were 600 times below the government's safety limits but there is ongoing debate about wi-fi use. Sir William Stewart, chairman of the Health Protection Agency, has said there needs to be a review of wi-fi.......
[more] Cisco says wait for 802.11n Cisco has added location sensing to its wireless LAN and allowed it to scale up - but it has stopped short of launching faster 802.11n Wi-Fi access points, with a set of announcements at the Interop event in Las Vegas. The announcement is deliberately light on new technology, because what users actually want is solutions to problems in vertical markets - or at least that's the spin that Ben Gibson, Cisco's director of marketing for mobility put on it: "We are se......
[more] High-Performance Wireless LAN Is Key To Business Mobility There has been a lot of talk about improving the performance of the wireless LAN here at this year's Interop. Why do IT departments need high-performance Wi-Fi? Without it, initiatives like business mobility and unified communications will go nowhere fast.All this talk about voice over Wi-Fi and dual-mode access is cool, but if the campus Wi-Fi system is some legacy 802.11b deployment, it just ain't gonna work. And most Wi-Fi systems tod......
[more] East 17 to big up the wi-fi massive London borough Waltham Forest is to pilot a public wireless network after joining forces with BT as part of the telco's Wireless Cities initiative.BT will pay for and construct the network over the coming months by fitting wireless transmitters to lampposts and other street furniture.The network will initially cover a square mile around Walthamstow town centre, with several three-month trials due to take place this autumn.The project will boost council servic......
[more] Desperately seeking WLAN apps for London City wireless LAN pioneer Westminster City Council has kicked off a competition to find new applications to run on its planned city-wide Wi-Fi network.Along with sponsors BT and Vertex, it is offering prizes of £1,000 in each of three categories: Wireless Living to improve the daily life of individuals, Wireless Neighbourhood to benefit groups and communities, and Wireless Business. A fourth £1,000 is on offer for the best idea from the three......
[more] More Wireless, Not Enough Security Since 2002, RSA, the security division of EMC (Quote), has been doing regular surveys of wireless networks found in big cities - essentially, wardriving the same streets, time after time, using everything from cars to buses to horse-drawn carriages - to see what changes. For 2007, they found that while deployment of Wi-Fi was up, so was security - but security is not keeping up with the deployment. "We drive the same route in New York, London and Paris,&q......
[more] Consumer-tech use threatens corporate security The use of consumer-based technology such as web email, instant messaging, smartphones and games consoles by employees is one of the most significant threats to corporate IT security. Analyst companies Forrester and Gartner have both warned this week that the entrance of consumer technologies into the enterprise is impossible to eliminate and challenges traditional security models.Consumer-based communications tools such as Hotmail, instant messagin......
[more] iPhone, Gmail and blogs - a corporate security nightmare The use of consumer-based technology such as web email, instant messaging, smart phones and games consoles by employees is one of the most significant threats to corporate IT security.Analyst companies Forrester and Gartner have both warned this week that the entrance of consumer technologies into the enterprise is impossible to eliminate and challenges traditional security models.Consumer-based communications tools such as Hotmail, insta......
[more] Wi-Fi Alliance starts testing draft 802.11n gear Routers, clients, and other 802.11n Draft 2.0 networking gear with the Alliance's seal of approval are expected to start hitting store shelves in September The Wi-Fi Alliance launched the action phase of its plan to get faster wireless networking products into the market on Monday, kicking off certification testing of gear based on a draft version of the IEEE 802.11n standard. The industry group that popularized wireless LANs expects 802.11n Draft......
[more] AirMagnet Allowed Patent for Ability to Detect Counterfeit Wi-Fi Access Points AirMagnet Inc., the award-winning leader in wireless network assurance solutions, today announced the company has received a notice of allowance for a U.S. Patent covering multiple methods of identifying "spoofed" or counterfeit devices in a wireless LAN. Developed by AirMagnet's CTO, Chia-Chee Kuan, as well as Chief Architect, Miles Wu, and President and CEO, Dean Au, the patent further strengthens the com......
[more] IT and compliance: A risk management 'odd couple' Handling compliance and risk have become inescapable elements of the modern CIO's role as they strive to ensure the business can forge ahead while not exposing areas of weakness or potential liability. Danny Bradbury explains the dilemma... Compliance can be a daunting word for IT managers. Ultimately, it's about managing risk exposure at a broad level. So what can IT directors do to satisfy the rest of the board, especially given that regulation......
[more] "Certified" fast Wi-Fi could still hurt today's nets The Wi-Fi Alliance is issuing brands for fast "Draft N" equipment, but it is not testing the most controversial part of the specifications - whether the new Wi-Fi kit will cripple existing 802.11g networks. The Draft N brand, launched last month, tests basic functions, but specifically does not test features that can block today's Wi-Fi systems. D-Link, Netgear and Linksys have all received branding, but users cannot be sure whether......
[more] AirMagnet unveils Vo-Fi 3.0 Analyzer The booming voice over wireless (Vo-Fi) market presents its own unique set of potential challenges, according to AirMagnet Inc. The company recently released the latest versions of its Vo-Fi monitoring software -- Vo-Fi Analyzer 3.0 -- designed to monitor the voice quality of all phones on a Wi-Fi network including those transmitting fully encrypted traffic. To that end, Vo-Fi Analyzer 3.0 automatically indicates what's wrong with any given phone on the netw......
[more] City ignoring Wi-Fi risks London firms are still using insecure wireless encryption Revelations earlier this year that poor wireless security contributed to the theft of 45 million credit card numbers at US retailer TJ Maxx increased calls for firms to abandon Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), the protocol found to be at fault. But a recent survey of London's wireless infrastructure by RSA suggests WEP use remains widespread, and this is despite a new payment card industry (PCI) standard requiring......
[more] River Thames gets free Wi-Fi The river Thames is to get a free Wi-Fi network after two companies, namely free-hotspot.com and MeshHopper partnered up to launch what they claim is Europe's largest free metropolitian Wi-Fi network. The 802.11g mesh network, offically known as "online-4-free.com", is situated along a 22 kilometre stretch of the Thames from Millbank to Greenwich, although this will be expanded to 36 kilometres in August. The network is administed and run by MeshHop......
[more] Performance is part of the Wi-Fi puzzle Aruba's acquisition of Network Chemistry, has brought the Wi-Fi security space into view, by reducing it from four main competitors to three. Or should that be from three to two? Commentators have tended to lump together Network Chemistry and the three "Airheads", AirTight, AirDefense and AirMagnet, but one of the four may already be moving has always been a bit different - at least that was the view of AirMagnet's co-founder and chief technolog......
[more] AirMagnet analyses 802.11n Wi-Fi Wi-Fi management company AirMagnet has launched an 802.11n laptop analyser, ready for the host of performance issues expected from the emerging fast wireless LAN standard. Wi-Fi vendors are divided over when it is safe for enterprises to adopt the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard which promises up to 600 Mbit/s over wireless links. AirMagnet believes that the standard will emerge in offices quickly, whether IT departments like it or not. "The first thing to happen wi......
[more] Is 802.11n ready for the enterprise? The latest draft of the 802.11n wireless LAN standard looks to be enterprise-ready, but many businesses are wary about buying pre-standard equipment It's faster and has far greater range than current wireless LAN technology. And it's stable. So is the most recent draft of the 802.11n wireless LAN standard ready for enterprise adoption? Such products are widely available for consumers even though final ratification isn't expected for more than a year. However......
[more] Pembrokeshire County Council Uses AirMagnet's WLAN Products to Manage Public Networks AirMagnet Inc., the leader in security, performance and compliance solutions for wireless LANs (WLAN) today announced that Pembrokeshire County Council (United Kingdom) is using AirMagnet's wireless network planning and analysis tools to plan and implement more than 30 public wireless networks in the region. Pembrokeshire already utilizes several AirMagnet products and the new agreement includes versions of Ai......
[more] Researchers say Web apps over Wi-Fi put data at risk Users who access Google Inc.'s Gmail or the Facebook social-networking site over Wi-Fi could be putting their accounts at risk of being hijacked, according to research from Errata Security Inc., a computer security company. It's not just those sites but any rich Web applications that exchange account information with users, including blogging sites such as Blogspot or even software-as-a-service offerings such as those of Salesforce.com Inc.,......
[more] AppGate Secures UK Police Force AppGate Network Security has announced that its next-generation network security solution has been deployed by a metropolitan police force in the UK to support specialist officers working in the field. AppGate provides a true Mobile solution that protects information on the network and controls access for users who need to work from any location. For the police force, AppGate's technology will help specialist officers operate more effectively, enabling them to ac......
[more] Man arrested for Wi-Fi theft Warning for home owners after bandwidth theft. Police officers in London have arrested a 39-year-old man who was using his laptop to access someone else's wireless Internet connection. His actions could potentially breach the Computer Misuse Act and the Communications Act, according to a Metropolitan Police Service statement. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police has confirmed the arrest. Two Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) spotted the man using the compu......
[more] Wi-Fi: The next generation Despite interminable delays to the forthcoming 802.11n wireless networking standard, there's a consensus it will finally materialise in March 2009. Meantime, it's being touted as a fix-all for Wi-Fi's various shortcomings. The standard promises to improve range and boost traffic throughput, from the existing 54Mbps (megabits per second) offered by 802.11g-based technology, to between 100Mbps and 300Mbps, depending on a range of factors.The performance improvement takes......
[more] Security fears hold back Wi-Fi adoption Concerns about security and poor performance are still holding back wireless local area network (Lan) adoption for many UK firms, research reports.A survey by wireless networking firm AirMagnet found that 43 per cent of companies which have so far resisted wireless adoption in the workplace are concerned about how to ensure the network's security.A further 29 per cent are delaying implementation because they perceive wireless Lans to be slower or less rel......
[more] Scientists show off super fast Wi-Fi Scientists in the United States are touting new technology that will allow Wi-Fi to transfer huge amounts of data over a very short distance. Georgia Tech professor Joy Laskar and other scientists at the Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) have used extremely high radio frequencies to transfer very large data files. Traditionally Bluetooth and Wi-Fi have been considered efficient for transferring small amounts of data between gadgets, but neither technol......
[more] Apple fixes iTunes buffer vulnerability Apple has released an update that fixes a critical vulnerability in its iTunes music player for Macintosh and Windows PC - six weeks after the flaw was detected. The vulnerability, a buffer overflow that could allow an attacker to remotely execute arbitrary code on or crash an impacted system, was disclosed by David Thiel, a senior security researcher at iSec Partners, at the annual Black Hat conference in early August. It impacts iTunes 7.3.2.Thiel said t......
[more] Hacker publishes notorious Apple Wi-Fi attack More than a year after claiming to have found a way to take over a Macintosh computer using a flaw in the system's wireless card, David Maynor has published details of his exploit. The details were included in a paper published in the September issue of Uninformed.org, an online hacking magazine. The lengthy paper describes how to run unauthorized software on a Macintosh by taking advantage of a flaw in Apple's AirPort wireless drivers. Apple patche......
[more] Wireless Protocols Learning Guide Ensuring wireless security can still be a big hold-up to the actual deployment or the continued use of a wireless network in the enterprise. This section of the Wireless Protocols Learning Guide covers monitoring and security policies for a wireless network in addition to a discussion of available tools and configurations that enhance wireless security. WLAN technology deployments have increased, and federal regulations (such as HIPAA, Sarbanes Oxley and Gramm-L......
[more] Revealed: World's hottest wi-fi spots Wireless internet access is booming with more and more business users logging on in airports, cafés and hotels.Worldwide wi-fi hotspot usage by business users shot up by 68 per cent in the first half of this year, compared to the second half of 2006, with airports topping the list of places where workers log on wirelessly, according to a survey.Business travellers making the most of downtime at airports and hotels accounted for more than five out of......
[more] London is world capital for Wi-Fi London is the city with the highest level of hotspot use by businesspeople, with four times as many Wi-Fi "sessions," or times people connect to networks, than New York and Chicago, the number two and three cities, respectively. Not surprisingly, the United States is leading in terms of hotspot use, again making up 56% of the worldwide total, followed by the United Kingdom (13%), Germany (7%), Switzerland (4%) and the Netherlands (3 5%). The countries that saw......
[more] AirMagnet Enterprise 8.0 Revolutionises Wireless IDS Intelligence fAirMagnet Inc., the leader in security, performance and compliance solutions for wireless LANs, announced a major new release of its award-winning AirMagnet Enterprise, the industry's premier solution for continuous wireless LAN security and management. Enterprise 8.0 is packed with new capabilities that allow customers to provide better protection for their wireless environments and to do so more efficiently. The system detects......
[more] AirMagnet Wins MobileVillage Award for Best Wireless LAN Management Product AirMagnet Inc., the leader in security, performance and compliance solutions for wireless LANs, today announced that AirMagnet Enterprise has been awarded the Gold Star and named Best Wireless LAN Management Product at the MobileVillage® Mobile Star Awards. AirMagnet was also awarded a Silver Star Award in the Success Story: Wireless LAN category based on the deployment of solutions by AirMagnet customer Smart City,......
[more] Wi-fi health risks to be probed The Health Protection Agency has announced a research programme into the possible health implications of wi-fi technology.Although no evidence has been found of any harmful effects from wi-fi exposure, concerns have been raised over the possibility of such effects - particularly as regards the use of wi-fi in schools.Professor Pat Troop, chief executive of the Health Protection Agency (HPA), said: "There is no scientific evidence to date that wi-fi and WLANs......
[more] Cafe Latte attack steals data from Wi-Fi users If you use a secure wireless network, hackers may be able to steal data from your computer in the time it takes to have a cup of coffee. At the Toorcon hacking conference in San Diego this coming weekend, security researcher Vivek Ramachandran, will demonstrate a technique he's developed to attack laptops that use the WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption system to log on to secure wireless networks. Developed in the late 1990s, WEP was the def......
[more] Hackers zero in on wireless hotspots YOU'VE got ten minutes until you need to leave for the airport, but you just have to send out that e-mail containing this month's sales figures. Dashing up the street in search of a taxi, you spot the magic words "wireless hotspot" in a café window. The figures are sensitive, but the café is almost empty. You sit down, facing your laptop screen away from the few others in the room and log on. Safe as houses. Or not? Richard Rushing, c......
[more] Study puts average value of laptop data at £160,000 Most travellers carry little or no business information on their laptops, but the ones who do store an average of $525,000 worth of sensitive data, according to a survey contracted by iBahn, a provider of secure broadband services to 2,100 hotels and conference centres in 22 countries. According to the research: The average value of personal information on travelers' laptop computers is $330,000 (£161,000)Forty percent of respondents acc......
[more] WEP destroyed by new client hack It was cracked long ago, but still hacks for the discredited WEP wireless security protocol keep coming.The latest one to be uncovered is the work of AirTight Networks' researchers Vivek Ramachandran and MD Sohail Ahmad, and was demonstrated at last weekend's Toorcon9 conference. Aided by flaws in the Windows Wi-Fi stack, the new attack involves coaxing an isolated Windows laptop into sending back ARP packets in response to a barrage of the same from the attacki......
[more] UK mobile security still useless UK mobile workers are often "left to their own devices" when it comes to security, according to a new survey.A survey by YouGov of 1,200 British workers who use PCs at work found that over a third (35 per cent) say responsibility for IT security is left up to the individual employee when they are outside the workplace. That's akin to leaving the lunatics in charge of the asylum, the survey suggests.Almost a fifth (18 per cent) of British workers reveal......
[more] Airmagnet to help set up Wi-fi networks for UK trains Airmagnet, a player in security, performance and compliance solutions for wireless LANs, has announced that Huber & Suhner Group is using the WLAN site survey tool, Airmagnet Survey PRO, to speed deployment and optimise configuration for public Wi-fi networks for train lines in the United Kingdom. Airmagnet Survey PRO reportedly allows rapid, intuitive modelling of different deployment scenarios to determine optimum performance settings.......
[more] Microsoft exec calls XP hack 'frightening' A Microsoft executive calls the ease with which two British e-crime specialists managed to hack into a Windows XP computer as both "enlightening and frightening." The demonstration took place Monday at an event sponsored by Get Safe Online--a joint initiative of the U.K. government and industry. At the event, which was aimed at heightening security awareness among small businesses, two members of the U.K. government intelligence group Serious Organized......
[more] Wi-fi piggybackers 'fess up More than half (54 per cent) of computer users admit to using someone else's wi-fi without permission, research reveals.Many internet-enabled homes fail to secure their wireless connection properly with passwords and encryption, allowing others to steal internet access rather than pay an ISP, according to IT security company Sophos which carried out the 560-strong survey.Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, said borrowing wi-fi internet access may......
[more] Security Sweep Finds Retailer's Wi-Fi Networks At Risk Despite the well-publicized wireless woes of retailer TJX earlier this year, it seems many retailers have failed to move to protect themselves from the loss of customer data. AirDefense, the Alphretta, Georgia-based wireless intrusion prevention vendor, conducted a "war drive" survey recently of over 3,000 retailers in eight major cities--Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, London and Paris. In tho......
[more] Wireless 'piggy-backing' prompts authentication concerns With growing numbers of Britons putting themselves at risk from fraud through their policy of using other people's unsecured Wi-Fi networks, businesses have been advised to ensure that they have effective data authentication systems in place. According to a recent survey carried out by the security group Sophos, some 54 per cent of internet users take advantage of unsecured networks to get online, despite the fact that this puts them at ri......
[more] Wireless network analysers: detect and alert users to intrusions Concilium Technologies has introduced the latest version of AirMagnet's wireless security and performance troubleshooting solution, the Laptop Analyzer, to the local market. The solution provides a management and security facility for Wi-Fi networks which automatically detects and alerts the user to wireless intrusions, infiltration attempts and hijacking strategies.Supporting the Laptop Analyzer is the AirWISE engine which provide......
[more] Retail Wi-Fi Wide Open to Hackers, Study Finds A study has discovered that while retailers are physically securing their businesses to prevent theft, they are not taking the same precautions with their wireless security. The "2007 Retail Shopping Wireless Security Survey" conducted by AirDefense, tested the wireless "perimeters" of 3,000 shops across the United States and parts of Europe. It discovered that of 2,500 wireless devices such as laptops, hand-helds, and barcode sc......
[more] T-shirt sniffs out Wi-Fi networks Website retailer ThinkGeek is selling a cotton T-shirt that lights up when it detects a nearby Wi-Fi network. Known as the Wi-Fi Detector Shirt, it features an animated decal that that has glowing bars which lights up when there is an IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g network in range. However, it cannot yet detect networks using 802.11n Draft 2.0. More bars light up as the signal gets stronger. The 100 percent cotton T-shirt is only available in black and cost $29.99. T......
[more] Wi-Fi virus outbreak is possible, researchers say If criminals were to target unsecured wireless routers, they could create an attack that could piggyback across thousands of Wi-Fi networks in urban areas like Chicago or New York City, according to researchers at Indiana University. The researchers estimate that a Wi-Fi attack could take over 20,000 wireless routers in New York City within a two-week period, with most of the infections occurring within the first day. "The issue is that......
[more] Et tu, Gmail? Simple hack defeats last barrier to decades-old attack In the morass of Web 2.0 insecurity, Gmail and other Google-hosted services stood out as a beacon of hope. That's because they were believed to be the only free destination that offered protection against a decade-old vulnerability that enabled hackers to steal sensitive authentication details as they pass over Wi-Fi hotspots and other types of public networks...Now, we know better. According to security researcher Rob Graham,......
[more] More remote workers squatting next door's broadband The number of workers in the UK who admitted they "hijack" the wireless connection of others has gone up from six per cent to 11 per cent over the last 12 months. Globally the figure is 12 per cent*, with big increases all over the world. That's among the findings of the second annual survey of remote working commissioned by networking giant Cisco Systems, which paints a picture of general (and increasing) slackness about IT security threats.......
[more] Wi-Fi networks need to be properly secured to avoid illegal piggybacking of internet service Computer users must properly securing their Wi-Fi networks following reports that people who illegally download music and films may have their internet subscriptions cancelled. The proposed Green Paper will require internet service providers (ISPs) to take action against the estimated six million users a year who access pirated material. This legislation could cause headaches for both ISPs and Wi-Fi use......
[more] That Wi-Fi network you thought was secure? it ain't Businesses using some of the more advanced methods for securing connections to Wi-Fi access points need to take a hard look at the configuration settings of client computers. So say researchers who have documented a simple way to impersonate trusted networks. The attack works on access points that use the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) in concert with Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol (PEAP) or other so-called Extensible Authenticatio......
[more] Adware slips between pages of e-book An adware package has turned up on the latest e-book devices from iRex, and will install itself automatically onto a connected PC if it gets the chance. The infection appears to be the imgInSOY worm, which copies itself between removable media and uses autorun.inf to infect any Windows system it comes across. In addition to copying itself onto any more removable devices the worm operates as adware. The Iliad is a Linux-based e-ink device which synchronises w......
[more] UK's most popular Wi-Fi router defaults to insecurity From the folks at security think tank GNUCitizen comes yet another demonstration of the insecurity that's present by default in the UK's most popular home broadband router. By default, the BT Home Hub, which is manufactured by Thomson/Alcatel, uses a weak algorithm to generate keys used for locking down a Wi-Fi network. So weak, in fact, that Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) keys can be predicted in just 80 guesses on average. GNU has written a......
[more] Hackers create their own social network Hackers now have their own social network, backed by GnuCitizen, a high-profile "ethical hacking" group. The network, called House of Hackers, has signed up more than 1,000 members since its launch earlier this week, according to the site. GnuCitizen set up the network in order to promote collaboration among security researchers. The site's founders said they use "hacker" in the complementary sense. The term "should all express admiration f......
[more] Yet another hole found in BT Wi-Fi router Users of Britain's most popular Wi-Fi router have yet another reason to change the default settings toute de suite, and once again they have the folks in BT's security department to thank. In recent weeks, they changed the default password in the BT Home Hub, from "admin" to the device's unique serial number. In theory, this should improve user security by making it next to impossible for intruders to guess the credentials to gain administrati......
[more] Beijing Prepares for 'High-tech Olympics' All over Beijing, Olympic countdown clocks tick off the seconds that China has awaited for seven years: the moments until Aug. 8, 2008, at 8:00 pm, when the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics begin. Perhaps the most important competition involving the Olympics will not take place during 16 days in August, but occurred in 2000 and 2001, when Beijing challenged Istanbul, Osaka, Toronto and Paris for the right to be the host city. Seven years and 2......
[more] Do smart phone viruses really threaten your network? All evidence points to the fact that smart phone viruses will be a threat to your network even though they aren't at this moment. After all, the latest mobile devices are packed with more and more applications and corporate data, are enabled for real Web browsing and online collaboration, and can access corporate servers. What's more, they live outside your firewall and often make use of three wireless networks (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular).......
[more] Hacked iPhone 3G causes security concerns Reports have emerged today that a Brazilian company has unlocked Apple’s much-hyped iPhone 3G ending the requirement to connect the device to exclusive carriers. And, the iPhone Dev Team has claimed it is close to a full software jailbreak, a technique that bypasses digital rights management (DRM) on the device. Less than a week after the iPhone’s release, the news may excite users in Brazil, China and Malaysia who were left off Apple’s supp......
[more] Are You Ready for the All Wireless Workplace? With 802.11n offering performance and security on par with cabled Ethernet, why wouldn’t you embrace wireless? This, anyway, is the vision of WLAN equipment vendors. The most telling slogan is Motorola’s: “Wireless by default, wired by exception.” The truth, though, is this all-wireless vision takes some parsing. All-wireless is coming—if you’re talking about the end-user perspective. No one is proposing wireless data centers. Ethernet t......
[more] AirMagnet and Intel Demo New Technology, Simplify Wireless RF Troubleshooting AirMagnet, a provider of security, performance and compliance solutions for wireless LANs, is demonstrating a new technology that will offer professional Wi-Fi spectrum analysis. This technology is devised with the help of Intel Centrino 2 processor technology and forthcoming software from AirMagnet. Now, companies can use the computer's standard internal wireless adapter to analyze the quality of the RF airwaves with......
[more] Olympic tech's winners and losers The 2008 Olympics are closed, but a few awards have yet to be given out: those for the winners and losers when it came to the games' technology The flame is extinguished, and as such the games of the 2008 Olympics are closed. While the medal count is now final, a few awards have yet to be given out: those for the winners and losers when it came to technology at the games. Beijing had three aims for the Olympics, intending to present them as "People's Olymp......
[more] Trusted sites thwart net hijacks US researchers have found a way to thwart hack attacks which intercept data passing from a PC to a website. These "man-in-the-middle" attacks are hard to spot because they involve hi-tech hackers who have total control over data streams. Developed by computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon the defence involves sites designated as trusted "notaries". Software compares responses received by trusted websites and tells users if it looks like data......
[more] Wireless LAN standard to cut power use Upcoming 802.11v standard scheudled for ratification in 2010 will improve power savings in wireless LANs The upcoming 802.11v standard will lower power consumption in wireless LANs, according to Matthew Gast, principal engineer at Trapeze Networks. Work on the standard began early in 2004 and ratification is currently scheduled for March 2010. Features include a Wireless Network Management Sleep Mode, improvement on base 802.11 power savings and longer pow......
[more] Second TJX hacker pleads guilty A Miami man pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of hacking and identity theft related to the high-profile data breaches at TJX and a number of other merchants.Christopher Scott, 25, admitted to his role in computer intrusions at nine retailers that netted a cybercriminal gang more than 40 million credit and debit card numbers, prosecutors have said.Between 2003 and 2007, the cyberbandits exploited insecure wireless networks, which allowed them to p......
[more] Wi-Fi Hack Attack at US Hotel Could Happen in UK The high end American Thompson hotel chain suffered an embarrassing and thought provoking hack-attack over the weekend. The hacker apparently managed to obtain emails sent to and from guests at the hotel, both personal and business. He then threatened to release details of these emails if his demands were not met. The company owns several swanky hotels in the best addresses in the US, including Manhattan, Beverly Hills and Washington DC. The thr......
[more] WiMax is here: What you need to know With the launch of Sprint's WiMax wireless broadband data service, called Xohm (pronounced "zome") in Baltimore in early October, Sprint was able to rightly claim it is the first carrier to offer the long-awaited official version of the technology to businesses and consumers. (Clearwire, a provider of pre-standard WiMax service that Sprint's Xohm unit will be merged into later this year, began its service offerings earlier.) The Sprint WiMax servic......
[more] Once thought safe, WPA Wi-Fi encryption is cracked Security researchers say they've developed a way to partially crack the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption standard used to protect data on many wireless networks. The attack, described as the first practical attack on WPA, will be discussed at the PacSec conference in Tokyo next week. There, researcher Erik Tews will show how he was able to crack WPA encryption and read data being sent from a router to a laptop computer. The attack could a......
[more] SMEs failing to protect networks from Wi-Fi invasion Seventy per cent of SMEs are failing to protect their corporate networks from Wi-Fi invasions, according to network access control vendor Napera Networks. A survey by the vendor has revealed that three in four companies have no control over Wi-Fi security, with 57 per cent unable to tell which machines are accessing the network. More than half of the businesses admitted they allow staff shared passwords to log on over wireless access points.......
[more] Vista SP2 beta: Nothing obviously new has been added If you install the beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) expecting to see visible changes to your version of Vista, you'll be sorely disappointed. At least in this initial beta, all the changes are under the hood, and even they are far from earth-shaking. Microsoft says that it has fixed compatibility problems with the third-party Spy Sweeper and ZoneAlarm security applications, enhanced hardware support for Direct X, improved Wi-Fi conn......
[more] How to use public Wi-Fi safely Sandwich chain Pret A Manger became the latest venue to announce free wireless internet access this week. But while public 'hotspots' are growing in number, free bandwidth comes with an element of risk, warns security specialist David Hobson. Once you are associated to an access point, you are on the same network as others connected to the same access point, in the same way as plugging into the same network segment. A simple network discovery will show who else is......
[more] Small laptops pose a big security threat They're highly portable, inexpensive, very popular -- and a potential security nightmare. Running against the trend of mobile computers featuring progressively larger processors, memory, storage, screens and price tags, ultraportable laptops promise to streamline and simplify their users' lives. Easy to carry, capable of running only a handful of modest applications and affordably priced, ultraportables have emerged over the past year or so to become one......
[more] 10 things that won't survive the recession The government says we've been in a recession for the past year. Experts say it'll be at least another year before it's over. And everybody says it's the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Nice sound bite. What does that mean?Who knows? We can be sure that this downturn will differ totally from the Depression, and also different from the many recessions we've suffered every decade or every other decade since the '30s. I'm not an econom......
[more] Plan to extend police-hacking powers gathers pace The UK government has agreed to work with the European Parliament on plans to extend police powers to conduct remote searches of computers. The European Union Council of Ministers approved a plan in November 2008 to grant law-enforcement authorities in member states the power to perform remote searches of suspects' computers, as well as to perform 'cyber patrols' of the internet and increase data sharing between European police forces. The plan,......
[more] Security vendors: We would block police hacking Two security vendors have said they would block police attempts to hack into systems without a warrant. The Home Office on Friday said it was working with the European Parliament on plans to extend police powers to conduct remote searches of computers. UK police already have the power to hack into suspect systems without a warrant, due to an amendment to the Computer Misuse Act, which came into force in 1995. However, security vendors Kaspersky La......
[more] Indian Police on the hunt for poorly secured wireless connections At a conference in Mumbai last week, 80 policemen were taught about Wi-Fi connections and cybercrime and given the authority to order the owners of wireless routers to properly secure them with encryption and passwords. Police in Mumbai are reportedly on the hunt for poorly secured wireless connections, following an incident last year where hackers sent a warning about an imminent bombing from an innocent person’s Wi-Fi con......
[more] Russians start selling Wi-Fi encryption cracker The Russian security company that caused a stir some months by talking up its cracking tool for recovering Wi-Fi encryption keys, has started selling its software to all-comers in a specially packaged product. Normally, running a tool to do this on a conventional Intel Core 2 Duo desktop PC would take months to brute force even a single 8-character WPA/WPA2-PSK password, of which there are trillions of possible alpha-numeric combinations at that b......
[more] New paint promises high-speed Wi-Fi shielding IT managers should start familiarising themselves with a new security tool, the paint brush, as Japanese researchers have come up with a paint that they say will block high-speed wireless signals, giving businesses a cheap option to protect their wireless networks. The problem of securing wireless networks has been an issue for a while now. Wi-Fi LANs with no encryption or running the obsolete WEP system, run the risk of having hackers outside the b......
[more] Alarm sounded over wi-fi networks Wireless access points could be used by hi-tech criminals to spread viruses and worms, warn US researchers. Security holes and the popularity of the devices in cities makes them ideal for spreading malware, they found. Using modelling methods from real diseases the team showed how a worm could gradually infect all access points in urban areas. They found that the majority of vulnerable access points would be hit in the first 24 hours of an outbreak.Password cra......
[more] Retailers still failing on wireless security Retailers are dragging their feet when it comes to ensuring wireless networks are safe from hackers, a new survey has claimed. Thousands of wireless access points (APs) in busy retail centres across the globe are wide open to wireless data-robbers, an annual Motorola wireless security survey found. Almost a third (32 per cent) of 7,940 APs probed were found to be unencrypted, a six percentage point rise on the year before. A quarter of APs were still......
[more] Researchers sniff PC keyboard strokes from thin air That PC keyboard you're using may be giving away your passwords. Researchers say they've discovered new ways to read what you're typing by aiming special wireless or laser equipment at the keyboard or by simply plugging into a nearby electrical socket. Two separate research teams, from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and security consultancy Inverse Path, have taken a close look at the electromagnetic radiation that is generated e......
[more] iPhone users to get Skype service Skype has said that iPhone users will be able to use its internet telephony service to make calls, but only using wi-fi and not the mobile network. The firm's native voice over internet protocol (VoIP) application - Skype for iPhone - will be available for download from Apple's iTunes store on Tuesday. The new service will allow users to make free calls to Skype users, but will charge for calls to other numbers. The UK's first Skype handset was launched b......
[more] Wireless and wired security: one and the same Some enterprises believe they don't have to concern themselves with wireless security if they don't run sensitive information on their networks. This can be a costly mistake, as Motorola's Ronald van Kleunen explains. In today's competitive economy, we need the power to do business anywhere, anytime. As such, wireless networks are taking over the enterprise. The flexibility and low cost, plus the ability to increase staff productivity, has resulted......
[more] Can't connect, won't connect. Poor wireless reception is symptomatic of a much bigger issue, says regular columnist Bill Thompson: The BBC's technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones, must be hoping that his neighbours don't decide to have a larger family. He recently spent ages setting up a high-speed wireless network (wi-fi) at home, documenting the whole tortuous process on the BBC Technology blog, but all his hard work could apparently be ruined by a single baby listener. The intercoms th......
[more] D-Link puts CAPTCHA on home router Home router vendor D-Link has taken the unusual step of adding a CAPTCHA login to its range of broadband routers in order to bolster them against automated Internet attacks. Only one product currently includes the technology, the DIR-685 Wireless N Storage Router, but a number of others will shortly add it to their feature set by upgrade, the DIR-615, DIR-635, DIR-655, DIR-825, and DIR-855. All future products in this part of the market will include CAPTCHA, t......
[more] China to propose WLAN security standard for global use again China will submit its wireless LAN security protocol to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for consideration as a global standard, years after its rejection by the standards body incensed Chinese backers. China will handle "follow-up application arrangements" after a resolution by the international group encouraging it to submit the protocol, Huang Zhenhai, secretary general of the semi-official C......
[more] New devices make hotspots a hacker's paradise Airport lounges, train stations and hotels represent three of the easiest attack vectors for hackers, according to white hat hacker, Chris Gatford. Speaking at IDC's SecurityVision conference today, Gatford said the vast majority of public hotspot users put their organisation's data at risk by connecting without a VPN to the "Linksys global wireless network" - his term for open networks set up in peoples homes that are left unsecured. Gatford, direc......
[more] Researchers set to reveal SSL vulnerability Confidential online connections made from public wireless hotspots remain vulnerable to attacks despite improved security that was supposed to fix the problem, according to security researchers. The vulnerability means that attackers can lurk in the middle of what victims think are secure SSL sessions with banks, retailers and other secure websites, picking off passwords and other information that can be used later to steal account funds or compromise......
[more] PCI clarifies procedures to secure Wi-Fi The group charged with administering the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) has begun issuing guidance documents that merchants can use to help them better understand and adhere to payment security standards. On Thursday, the PCI Security Standards Council published its first installment: a 33-page paper for clarifying how retailers should secure their wireless internet environment. “The guidelines are not there to add any new c......
[more] Using software updates to spread malware Two researchers from Israeli security firm Radware have figured out a way to trick computers into downloading malware or take over a computer by hijacking the communications during the update process for Skype and other applications. About 100 applications, many among the most popular on CNET's Download.com, can be targeted, said Itzik Kotler, team leader of Radware's security operations center, before his presentation here at the Defcon conference. K......
[more] New attack cracks common Wi-Fi encryption in a minute Computer scientists in Japan say they've developed a way to break the WPA encryption system used in wireless routers in about one minute. The attack gives hackers a way to read encrypted traffic sent between computers and certain types of routers that use the WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption system. The attack was developed by Toshihiro Ohigashi of Hiroshima University and Masakatu Morii of Kobe University, who plan to discuss further......
[more] New flaw could hit Vista and Windows 7 A researcher has identified a new vulnerability that could put all organisations using Vista and Windows 7 at great risk. The flaw lies in a driver used for the Samba file-sharing feature in Windows, said Bojan Zdrnja, a handler for the SANS Internet Storm Center. Exploit code was released around 11.00 yesterday evening (ET), he said. Zdrnja said he tested the exploit code and it works on fully patched Vista machines running Service Pack 1 or 2 as well as......
[more] Finally, the IEEE stamps "approved" on 802.11n Wi-Fi standard The IEEE has finally approved the 802.11n high-throughput wireless LAN standard. There’s been no public announcement yet by IEEE. But Bruce Kraemer, the long-time chairman of the 802.11n Task Group (part of the 802.11 Working Group, which oversees the WLAN standards), has sent out a notification to a listserv for task group members, which includes a wide range of Wi-Fi chip makers, software developers, and equipment vendors. One of t......
[more] 7 Ways Security Pros DON'T Practice What They Preach IT security pros are often driven to drink -- literally -- over the daily battles of their job: bosses unwilling to accept the rationale for some new security investment, employees who regularly infect their computers by doing things that have nothing to do with their jobs, and vendors who don't understand the company's needs. But in a recent, unscientific and informal poll CSOonline conducted over such social networks as Twitter and LinkedIn,......
[more] Anti-wi-fi paint offers security Researchers say they have created a special kind of paint which can block out wireless signals. It means security-conscious wireless users could block their neighbours from being able to access their home network - without having to set up encryption. The paint contains an aluminium-iron oxide which resonates at the same frequency as wi-fi - or other radio waves - meaning the airborne data is absorbed and blocked.
By coating an entire room, signals can't get in......
[more] New Wi-Fi spec will support peer-to-peer networking An emerging Wi-Fi specification is promising to allow users to directly link devices. Dubbed Wi-Fi Direct, the new specification allows systems to establish peer-to-peer connections and directly connect with other devices without the need for a Wi-Fi router. According to industry group Wi-Fi Alliance, the new specification is likely to be formally certified by the middle of next year and will support connections between desktops, notebooks, pr......
[more] Watchdog TV show slams hotspot security The BBC's Watchdog programme claims to have exposed security weaknesses in many of the UK's wireless hotspots. The consumer affairs show managed to hack into several accounts and send and receive emails using sophisticated but readily available snooping tools, and a coffee shop Wi-Fi connection. The researchers penetrated the accounts of two audience members and Rav Wilding, an ex-policeman and current Crimewatch presenter. The programme identified hotspo......
[more] Free public Wi-Fi scheme for town A major Wiltshire town is to become the first in the UK to offer free public wireless internet access to its entire population, it was claimed. Swindon Borough Council plan for all 186,000 citizens to have blanket "Wi-Fi mesh" coverage by April 2010. Line rental will be free, and there will be no connection charge, say council officials.
Wireless internet allows computer users to access the internet without the need for wired connection to phone lines.
'Much ch......
[more] Does your business really need an office? At the recent Workplace Trends conference, one speaker dared to ask: "Do we even need an office these days?" I thought I'd pick up this contentious ball and run with it. What would happen if a large multi-national company, which I'll call Company X, sold its real estate, dished out laptops and went completely mobile? Their new offices would be at homes and in connected 'third places', all around the city or town. I'm only talking about knowledge workers......
[more] Two thirds of Brits to shop online for Christmas Over two thirds of Brits (68 percent) plan to buy at least half of their gifts online this Christmas, says Webroot. Research by the internet security company revealed that the number of shoppers intending to purchase gifts online has increased by 46 percent since 2007. Furthermore 12 percent said they use a public Wi-Fi networks when purchasing gifts online, even though this can be a security risk.
Webroot also said that 52 percent use search eng......
[more] First malicious iPhone worm slithers into wild A Dutch internet service provider has identified a worm that installs a backdoor on jailbroken iPhones and makes them part of a botnet. The worm, according to XS4ALL, targets jailbroken iPhones whose owners have carelessly failed to change the default password. In addition to connecting to a Lithuanian master command channel, it also changes the root password for the device, making it harder for owners trying to regain control. Infected iPhones are......
[more] Pub fined after customer uses Wi-Fi connection illegally The legal problems of running a public Wi-Fi hotspot have emerged again after a pub was fined thousands of pounds because a customer used its network to download copyrighted content. Graham Cove, managing director of Wi-Fi hotspot provider The Cloud, told ZDNet UK that the action was brought about during the summer and the fine levied in a civil case. He believes it is the first case of its kind in the UK.
Pub company clients of The Cloud......
[more] New cloud-based service steals Wi-Fi passwords For $34, a new cloud-based hacking service can crack a WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) network password in just 20 minutes, its creator says. Launched today, the WPA Cracker service bills itself as a useful tool for security auditors and penetration testers who want to know if they could break into certain types of WPA networks. It works because of a known vulnerability in Pre-shared Key (PSK) networks, which are used by some home and small-business u......
[more] The 12 Cons of Christmas While the risk of being hacked, conned or having sensitive information stolen is possible all through the year, most security experts agree that the holiday season brings a spike in fraudulent activity, both online and off. CSO compiled a list of twelve dirty tricks to avoid this holiday season (or any time). Product come-ons
After a day of shopping, you log on to Twitter and 'tweet' about how hard it is to find a Zhu Zhu Pet, this season's hot toy, for your daughter. S......
[more] UK retail Wi-Fi security still patchy Wi-Fi security in UK retail environments is improving, but shops remain vulnerable to the sorts of attacks carried out as part of the infamous TJX credit card heist. The cybercrooks, who lifted more than 21 million credit card records, leapfrogged onto the retailer's credit card database after first breaking into the wireless network of a regional store, a subsequent investigation ahead of upcoming US trials revealed. The incident ought to have acted as a wa......
[more] Majority of Wi-Fi access points in the UK locked The UK is trailing the US and many other EU countries in the number of available open Wi-Fi access points, according to research by American firm WeFi. The company said that figures collected from information on 50 million Wi-Fi access points stored in its database showed that only 25 per cent of Wi-Fi access points in the UK are unlocked, compared with 40 per cent in the US. However, the research indicated that the general trend seems to be for......
[more] Apple unveils iPad tablet device Apple has put an end to weeks of speculation by unveiling its tablet device, which it has called the iPad. Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive unveiled the touchscreen device at an event in San Francisco. Mr Jobs described the tablet, which will cost between $499 and $829 in the US, as a "third category" between smartphones and laptops.
The device, which looks like a large iPhone, can be used to watch films, play games and browse the web.
The firm has also done......
[more] Accessing emails and corporate data on the go can led to serious data breeches through shoulder surfing When working on laptops in public places, users are generally unaware of the activity going on in their surroundings, making them vulnerable to curious bystanders, opportunistic criminals or even practiced experts peering over their shoulder to read or record on-screen information. Being the victim of shoulder surfing can make laptop users feel uncomfortable and can impede work productivity if......
[more] Universities protest against government wi-fi plans Libraries and universities are protesting about plans to make them police users of wireless networks. The government's Digital Economy Bill includes plans to make them responsible for what is done over free wi-fi. The plans imply that libraries, universities and cafes offering free wireless will be responsible if people use it to pirate movies and music.Bodies representing universities want the law clarified so they are not hit with big bills......
[more] Overlooked online threats There's the danger you know, and then there's the danger you don't know. Most of us are rightfully wary of downloading and running programs that have no pedigree, or of performing day-to-day operations as an administrative user. But with each passing year, new security threats march in to eclipse the old, many of them not getting their share of attention until it's too late. Threats go unappreciated for various reasons. Some seem too obscure or unlikely to be valid unt......
[more] Your health, tax, and search data siphoned Google, Yahoo, Microsoft's Bing, and other leading websites are leaking medical histories, family income, search queries, and massive amounts of other sensitive data that can be intercepted even when encrypted, computer scientists revealed in a new research paper. Researchers from Indiana University and Microsoft itself were able to infer the sensitive data by analyzing the distinct size and other attributes of each exchange between a user and the webs......
[more] Online election debate prioritises Digital Economy Act The Digital Economy Act, which could restrict illegal downloaders from accessing the internet, is proving to be the most popular topic with web users in the run-up to the general election. The leaders of the three main political parties answered questions from web users in a Digital Debate hosted by YouTube and Facebook.Web users submitted 5,300 questions on topics such as tax, the NHS, Afghanistan, petrol and technology. The questions were......
[more] Google admits wi-fi data collection blunder Google has admitted that for the past three years it has wrongly collected information people have sent over unencrypted wi-fi networks. The issue came to light after German authorities asked to audit the data the company's Street View cars gathered as they took photos viewed on Google maps. Google said during a review it found it had "been mistakenly collecting samples of payload data from open networks".The admission will increase concerns......
[more] Google mapped every wireless network in UK Google's Street View Cars have logged every wireless network in the UK, it has been revealed. Earlier this month the search engine company admitted it has been mistakenly collecting data from unsecured Wi-Fi networks for three years. The company said the error came to light after the German data protection authority audited the Wi-Fi data collected by Street View cars for use in location-based products such as Google Maps for mobile.However, now Google......
[more] Skype iPhone app hits five million downloads Skype has claimed that five million consumers have downloaded its iPhone 3G VoIP application since it was released at the weekend. The 3G capabilities in the Skype 2.0 application mean that users are not restricted to the availability of a Wi-Fi network when they want to make calls. The application was designed to allow customers to make and receive free Skype-to-Skype calls for a trial period until the end of this year, and call mobiles and landline......
[more] Apple shows off redesigned iPhone Apple has unveiled a redesign of its popular iPhone handset. The revamped gadget has a stainless steel case, two cameras, improved display and is 24% thinner than the most recent version. Apple boss Steve Jobs said the redesign was the "biggest leap" it had taken since the launch of the first iPhone.But analysts said the phone's popularity could be dented by Apple's strict control over what owners can do with their gadget.The gadget was revealed durin......
[more] iPhone 4, iOS 4 offer deeper enterprise support Apple CEO Steve Jobs promised deeper enterprise support with its iPhone 4 and its iOS 4 software, noting that it will offer better data protection, wireless application distribution and support for multiple Exchange e-mail accounts, as well as SSL VPN security. But all of that still might not be enough for some industry analysts to give IT shops a green light for full iPhone deployments, at least when the iPhone is compared with BlackBerry device......
[more] Firefox add-on does 'HTTPS Everywhere' The Electronic Frontier Foundation and The Tor Project have teamed up to offer a Firefox add-on that beefs up https on several major websites, including Google.com, Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, and PayPal. Currently in beta, HTTPS Everywhere is designed to make encryption easier to use on sites offering at least partial SSL support. Google, for instance, still defaults to unencrypted search, but the EFF's add-on automatically takes you to the https incarn......
[more] Protecting the data you don't even know you have Let's assume for a moment that Google's collection of Wi-Fi "payload" data really was unintentional. And that Google never used the data, didn't even know it was there and stored it securely. Is it actually a privacy leak if no one has looked at the private data? That, of course, is a question for lawyers and courts and government regulators.Now consider: What happens when the various lawyers and courts and government agencies around the world i......
[more] Google under investigation by Met police The UK's Metropolitan Police is to investigate Google over its capture of data from unsecured wi-fi networks, following a complaint from human rights group Privacy International. The data, scooped up by Google's Street View cars, may put the firm in breach of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa). It is likely that the police will interview Google staff in the UK.It is one of many ongoing global investigations into Google.Police say the init......
[more] Enterprise users get tips on iPhone 4 video calls Apple has released guidance aimed at enterprises looking to use the iPhone 4 for internal video calls. The company recommends that enterprises open up a number of their network ports in order to take advantage of the phone's FaceTime feature. "Internet traffic moves through a firewall based on service-identification numbers that are referred to as ports. Certain ports must be open for FaceTime to work," the firm said."Network admi......
[more] Misconfigured Cisco wireless gear could lead to Wi-Fi breach Users of a popular Cisco Systems wireless access point may be setting themselves up for trouble if they leave a WPA wireless migration feature enabled, according to researchers at Core Security Technologies. The issue has to do with Cisco's Aironet 1200 Series Access Point, which is used to power centrally managed wireless LANs. The Aironet 1200 can be set to a WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) migration mode, in which it provides wireless......
[more] Is Wireless Security a Contradiction in Terms? Wi-Fi is everywhere. Whether you travel for business or simply need Internet access while out and about, your options are plentiful. You can sign on at airports, hotels, coffee shops, fast food restaurants, and now, airplanes. What are your risk factors when accessing wireless? There are plenty. Wi-Fi wasn't born to be secure. It was born to be convenient. Wireless networks broadcast messages using radio and are thus more susceptible to eavesdroppin......
[more] Why user provisioning matters All it takes is a single employee to bring an organisation's network to its knees. It is time for user provisioning to shine. For too long, IT departments have isolated account provisioning, making it a standalone process, ignoring how destructive a provisioning mistake can be. But user provisioning, the very act of providing the workforce with network access, is absolutely fundamental to an organisation's security and risk posture. There are a plethora of scenario......
[more] Google cleared of wi-fi snooping Google did not grab "significant" personal details when collecting data from wi-fi networks, according to the UK's Information Commissioner Office (ICO). The finding came after the body reviewed some of the data Google scooped up from unsecured networks.Google said the data was "mistakenly" gathered while logging wi-fi hotspots to help with location-based services.The ICO said it would closely monitor other global investigations.Hotspot spotting Informa......
[more] Top security tips for the summer holiday season Top ten tips for IT and security managers to minimise risk during the holiday season: 1. Hackers don’t go on holiday - many frontline staff members are on holiday and resources are stretched, so the chance of a security breach not being detected is even higher than normal. Make sure you don’t take your eye off the ball when your workers are on the beach! Also, as young people can be some of the most prolific hackers and will have more f......
[more] Technology allows digital nomads to work anywhere Online digital storage devices and innovative internet connections mean working from anywhere in the world while travelling has never been easier. For the 20% of UK workers who spend three hours or more commuting each day living as a digital nomad could be more than just a dream. Lea Woodward upped sticks three years ago for a life on the road - permanently.Since then, she has seen her blog, Location Independent, grow into an online community of......
[more] Apple fix for iPhone flaws coming with iOS 4.1 Apple yesterday laid out its plans for the next two upgrades of iOS, the mobile operating system that powers its iPhone and iPad, slating the first for release in a few days. iOS 4.1 will ship sometime next week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said during an hour-plus introduction of a refreshed iPod lineup and a slimmer and less-expensive Apple TV. The upgrade will be available for iPhones and iPod Touches, but not for the company's iPad.Tablet owners will h......
[more] Six enterprise security leaks you should plug now The Titanic was thought to be unsinkable, a testament to the engineering prowess of its day and the fact that luxury liners rarely collided with massive icebergs. In modern enterprises, there's a similar perception of invulnerability. Yet, for every large organization that glides through the year without any mishaps, there are many stories about perilous break-ins, Wi-Fi sniffing snafus and incidents where Bluetooth sniper rifles were used to ste......
[more] Google to tighten privacy policies after Wi-Fi fiasco Under fire for months over its capture of people's Wi-Fi traffic data, Google has announced several steps aimed at preventing similar missteps in the future. At the same time, Google is acknowledging that its inadvertent Wi-Fi snooping collected not only data fragments but entire e-mail messages, website addresses, and passwords. Google has been in hot water with privacy advocates, government agencies and concerned individuals since its discl......
[more] Lazy Hackers Unite: Firesheep Boasts +104,000 Downloads In 24 Hours Well, that was fast. In roughly 24 hours, Firesheep has been downloaded more than 104,000 times, as would-be-hackers - or the merely curious- downloaded the Firefox extension to test the exploit. As we reported on Sunday night, Eric Butler's Firesheep allows users on a public Wi-Fi network to effectively spy on others, by giving Firesheep users access to sensitive information (via cookies) that lets them log into their victim's......
[more] How to protect against Firesheep attacks Security experts today suggested ways users can protect themselves against Firesheep, the new Firefox browser add-on that lets amateurs hijack users' access to Facebook, Twitter and other popular services via Wi-Fi. Firesheep adds a sidebar to Mozilla's Firefox browser that shows when anyone on an open network -- such as a coffee shop's Wi-Fi network -- visits an insecure site. A simple double-click gives a hacker instant access to logged-on sites rangin......
[more] Coder fires 'Idiocy' warning to Twitter users A coder has developed a hijacking tool to compromise Twitter accounts and then post a warning to the victim. The tool, named "Idiocy," searches for users insecurely visiting Twitter over public Wi-Fi networks and then hijacks their session to post a tweet informing them they are vulnerable to attack. A link has also been included in the tweet directing users to a website explaining what has happened once a user has been exploited.Jonty War......
[more] AirMagnet touts improved Wi-Fi management AirMagnet has updated its Wi-Fi Analyzer Pro and Survey Pro tools, promising faster network surveys and more immediate insight into any problems. Survey Pro 8 and Wi-Fi Analyzer Pro 9 use new multi-adapter technology to collect data from the network and incorporate it into software that can help staff make sense of what they see. Dilip Advani, product manager at AirMagnet parent Fluke Networks, claimed that the updates offer better Wi-Fi management. &quo......
[more] Firesheep not evil, says snooping tool's maker The security researcher who created the Firesheep snooping tool defended his work today, saying it's no one's business what software people run on their computers. He also criticized Microsoft for adding detection of Firesheep to its antivirus software, calling the Redmond, Wash. company's move "censorship." Eric Butler, the Seattle-based Web applications developer who released Firesheep more than a week ago, took to his blog Tuesday to co......
[more] Google in 'significant breach' of UK data laws There was a "significant breach" of the Data Protection Act when Google collected personal data via its Street View cars, the UK's Information Commissioner has ruled. But Google will not face a fine or any punishment, Christopher Graham added. Instead, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will audit Google's data protection practices. The move marks a U-turn for the ICO which originally ruled that no data breach had occurred.Last we......
[more] Caravan-swiping suspect spotted on Street View Derbyshire Police have issued a Street View snap of a possible caravan thief. Back in June 2009, a Derbyshire family had their caravan nicked from their driveway. Despite forensic examination of the wheel clamps used to secure the caravan, police were unable to finger a suspect. That is until March this year - when the caravan's owner had a peak on Street View. He did not recognise the shiny-topped gentleman in the shell suit rearranging his undercr......
[more] AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer Pro 9: New Features - and Benefits I have always been a huge fan of AirMagnet (strictly speaking here, the WiFi Analyzer PRO product, but I also use the Enterprise and Spectrum XT products from time to time as well), and remember the slap-in-the-forehead feeling I got when they put the first handheld version in my hands what seems like ages ago. This was the first really good mobile diagnostic tool for wireless LANs, and the latest version (9.0) announced last week is lig......
[more] UK data watchdog acts on MPs' data leak The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has acted against a weakness in parliamentary IT systems that exposed MPs' financial information. The ICO, which has been heavily criticised this week, said that MPs' personal details stored in the expenses database had been accidentally put at risk. Expenses claims were improperly accessible for a 21-hour period after some IT maintenance work.The gaffe allowed any MPs with an expense account, as well as their cl......
[more] Google to delete Street View Wi-Fi data Google has signed a commitment with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to adhere to a number of procedures relating to privacy in the aftermath of the collection of data from UK Wi-Fi networks by its Street View cars. Chief among the commitments is that Google will delete the data, which it is no longer obliged to retain under UK law. The ICO told V3.co.uk that it expects to be informed when the data is destroyed, but has not set a date for when t......
[more] Google's UK Street View wi-fi data 'deleted' Personal data collected by Google's UK Street View cars has been deleted. The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which has been criticised for not taking a more hardline stance against Google, confirmed the deletion. The first batch of wi-fi data, which included snippets of e-mails, URLs and passwords, was deleted in November. But legal wrangles in other countries meant that the remaining data, all of which the firm said was collected in err......
[more] Man used neighbor's Wi-Fi to threaten Vice President Biden A Blaine, Minn., man has pleaded guilty to charges that he hacked into his neighbor's Wi-Fi connection to e-mail death threats and child pornography, apparently with the intention of causing trouble for the unsuspecting neighbor. Barry Vincent Ardolf, 45, pleaded guilty last week to charges of hacking, identity theft, possession of child pornography and making threats to Vice President Joe Biden. According to prosecutors, he used the Air......
[more] Microsoft investigates 'phantom' Windows Phone 7 data Microsoft has told BBC News that it is investigating why some handsets running its Windows Phone 7 software are sending and receiving "phantom data". Several net forums detail complaints from people that say their phones are automatically eating into their monthly data plans without their knowledge. Some have complained that their phone sends "between 30 and 50MB of data" every day; an amount that would eat into a 1GB all......
[more] Facebook blames bug for Zuckerberg 'hacking' Facebook has said "a bug" was to blame for an odd posting purporting to come from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Overnight, the cryptic message was posted to the Facebook fan page in the name of the 26-year old billionaire founder. It called for the site to become a "social business" with investment from its users. The message led to speculation that the the site had been hacked or Mr Zuckerberg's account was compromised.Initi......
[more] Understanding Wireless Intrusion Prevention Systems While the 802.11i -- or WPA2 -- wireless security standard does a fine job of authenticating users to the corporate network and encrypting both authentication and user data over the air, many of the latest wireless security threats aren't specifically related to authentication. Today's Wi-Fi threats revolve more around client devices and rogue APs with custom embedded attack systems and are usually detectable only in the air. Enterprises need......
[more] Twitter adds option to always use HTTPS connection With the rising awareness and concern over the stealing of passwords and other sensitive data from unsecured Wi-Fi networks, Twitter is the latest online services company to boost its use of encrypted website connections. Twitter announced on Wednesday that it will give its users the option to always automatically connect to Twitter.com using HTTPS, which encrypts communications between users' computers and Twitter servers. HTTPS reduces the cha......
[more] Huawei plans for London Underground mobile network collapse Talks between Transport for London (TfL) and several mobile network operators to provide mobile phone coverage on the London Underground have ground to a halt owing to funding problems. TfL explained in a statement that, because it will not fund the rollout of the network, the companies working on the project - thought to be Vodafone, O2, Everything Everywhere and Three - had to meet this cost, but were unwilling to do so. "The may......
[more] iPhone revealed to track, log users' locations You may not know where you're going in life, but you always know where you've been -- and so does your iPhone. According to a story in The Guardian on Wednesday, the iPhone (and the 3G-enabled iPad) keeps a running log of its location and copies that information to your home computer whenever you connect to it. As such, the information -- complete with latitude, longitude, and timestamps -- can be easily reconstructed to show a person's movements. I......
[more] PlayStation Network hack launched from Amazon EC2 The hackers who breached the security of Sony's PlayStation Network and gained access to sensitive data for 77 million subscribers used Amazon's web services cloud to launch the attack, Bloomberg News reported. The attackers rented a server from Amazon's EC2 service and penetrated the popular network from there, the news outlet said, citing an unnamed person with knowledge of the matter. The hackers supplied fake information to Amazon. The accoun......
[more] 99% of Android phones leak secret account credentials The vast majority of devices running Google's Android operating system are vulnerable to attacks that allow adversaries to steal the digital credentials used to access calendars, contacts, and other sensitive data stored on the search giant's servers, university researchers have warned. "We wanted to know if it is really possible to launch an impersonation attack against Google services and started our own analysis," the researchers......
[more] Eureka! Google breakthrough makes SSL less painful Google researchers say they've devised a way to significantly reduce the time it takes websites to establish encrypted connections with end-user browsers, a breakthrough that could make it less painful for many services to offer the security feature. What's more, the technique known as False Start requires that only simple changes be made to a user's browser and appears to work with 99 percent of active sites that offer SSL, or secure sockets la......
[more] Google plugs Wi-Fi sync security hole in Android Google today confirmed that it's starting to roll out a server-side patch for a security vulnerability in most Android phones that could let hackers snatch important credentials at public Wi-Fi hotspots. "Today we're starting to roll out a fix which addresses a potential security flaw that could, under certain circumstances, allow a third party access to data available in Calendar and Contacts," said a Google spokesman. "This fix re......
[more] Child finds flaws in mobile games A novel class of security problems have been found lurking in many mobile games by a ten-year old hacker. Going by the handle CyFi, the hacker presented her findings at the DefCon hacker conference held in Las Vegas. She found that advancing the clock on a tablet or phone can, in many games, open a loophole that can be exploited. CyFi discovered the bug after getting bored with the pace of farming games and seeking ways to speed them up.Find and fixMany farm-ba......
[more] Microsoft patches 1990s-era 'Ping of Death' Microsoft today issued 13 security updates that patched 22 vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer, Windows, Office and other software, including one that harked back two decades to something dubbed "Ping of Death." Of Tuesday's 13 updates, called "bulletins" by Microsoft, two were labeled "critical" -- the most-serious rating in the company's four-step score -- nine were marked "important," the next-most-dangerous......
[more] Mobiles become emergency data network Mobile phones could soon be helping in the aftermath of disasters by becoming an ad-hoc message passing network. Computer scientist Thomas Wilhelm has developed software that lets data hop from phone to phone. Messages sent via the application gradually migrates towards its intended target to keep communication going when other routes are closed. The system could also help protesters in nations that routinely switch off networks to quell unrest.Called Auto-B......
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