UN warned on wireless insecurity

Wired networks enjoy physical protection

Consumers and companies are rushing to adopt wireless computer networks with little thought of the security problems they bring with them, warn experts.

The ease with which wireless networks can be set up, and the convenience of replacing cables with radio waves, is making them hugely popular in both homes and offices.

But researchers warn that the security failings of these networks have not been fixed and that few people are doing enough to protect themselves.

They recommend that the makers of wireless network products do more to improve the basic security of their devices and that work be done to educate users of the dangers.

Physical danger

The warnings and recommendations are contained in a report presented to the United Nations drawn up at Purdue University's 2002 Wireless Security Forum.

Wireless technology is going to be deployed across the globe either securely or insecurely

David Black, Accenture

The forum was organised by the Purdue University's Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security and brought together 18 experts from industry and academia.

The report warned that wireless networks, which tie together computers and peripherals with radio waves rather than cables, magnify the many security problems of more traditional wired systems.

In particular wireless networks make it much harder to ensure that data stays private and to stop vandals and criminals impersonating those who have permission to use a network.

The experts point out that on wired networks, security often depends on physical protections, such as doors and security badges, to stop people getting at particular computers.

With wireless networks such physical controls are much harder to impose.

Wireless links often mean that people stay connected to networks for longer, something which brings its own risks, warns the report.

It also said that the growth of wireless meant that there would be more interconnections between networks. As a result a security weakness in one network could mean that all those it is connected to become vulnerable as well.

Educate and update

As wireless networks are rapidly being adopted by organisations that oversee critical infrastructures, such as power networks, there is an urgent need to address these security problems.

Wireless has come a long way

"Wireless technology is going to be deployed across the globe either securely or insecurely," said David Black, global security technologies expert at Accenture who sponsored the report, "but the market will get it out there regardless."

"It is our goal to help this happen as securely as possible," he said.

The report makes a series of recommendations about how to improve security on wireless networks.

It said that the makers of wireless products should improve design to make sure their offerings were easy to configure and use to ensure that important security settings were not overlooked.

Companies should also develop best practices to be used when installing wireless networks to ensure it is done properly and consitently.

There needs to be more research done on the best way to authenticate users of wireless networks and on the basic security architecture of a system without cables.

Finally, users of wireless networks needed to be educated about their dangers and told how to fix problems.