Majority of users leave their wireless networks exposed

Nearly three-fifths (57 per cent) of UK businesses are leaving themselves vulnerable to hackers by not taking simple steps to protect their wireless networks, according to new research by managed security company, Network Box. The company investigated the protocols used by businesses to protect their wireless networks and found that 41 per cent use the largely-ineffective wired equivalent privacy (WEP) protocol; staggeringly, 16 per cent use no protection at all.

The research also highlighted a similar lack of security awareness among home users. Forty-eight per cent use the WEP protocol, while 13 per cent use no protection – three per cent less than the figure recorded for businesses.