Security Risks In The Wireless Computing Environment

The wireless network as a computing paradigm has brought unprecedented access, flexibility and usability to the I.T. environment in a relatively short time. When one considers that the “conventional” computing environment of an enclosed mainframe system accessed exclusively by hard wired terminals, evolved over a period of 30+ years. Such slow growth of an I.T. system allowed for a maturing of the implementation plan and the time to develop adequate security measures.

By contrast, the wireless network paradigm has exploded just within the last five years. From an infancy in which wireless I.T. access was the stuff of theory, experimentation and science fiction we have come to a point that wireless network access is common to the general public on the same level of widespread use as the television or the automobile. While such success is amazing and a testimony to the ingenuity of its developers, it also brings with it unprecedented security risks. Because of the rapid nature of industry growth, such core necessities as protocol standardization and development and administration of security agreements has had to occur at a rapid pace. As we near the end of 2004, we must review where the industry is in the development of wireless security, what problems still daunt the industry and the direction of addressing these problems that is currently showing the most promise.