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Fixing Wi-Fi Security Problems: Hire Wardrivers

By Larry Hendrick | April 26, 2006

This story illustrates the lack of knowledge that exists in the government about technology. They are trying to legislate on an issue without any understanding of what they are doing (unfortunately that’s not abnormal). Businesses have six months to secure their WiFi networks before fines begin.

Other articles provide additional information on this, but it doesn’t get any better. The city’s IT guy suggests that these people just get firewalls … doh! And just where does he recommend putting them in the network (just curious)? How does he define “firewall” would be my first question, since most of the access points include a NAT router that is ON by default. Maybe he means a $700 dollar Cisco PIX firewall (with statefull packet inspection) to go behind the $20 access point. Or, maybe not …

Well, you get the point.

Fixing Wi-Fi Security Problems: Hire Wardrivers
On April 20, Westchester County in New York approved a law that will slap local business owners with a warning or a fine for not securing their Wi-Fi networks. The legislation takes effect in 180 days.

Apparently, to prove just how vulnerable Wi-Fi networks are, a team from the local department of information technology drove around downtown White Plains. In half an hour, they discovered 248 hot spots. Of those, 120 lacked any security.

Topics: Business, Technology, WiFi |

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