Wireless boom is hackers' heaven
Setting up a wireless computer network at home has never been easier or cheaper. But the freedom to access the internet from anywhere in or around the house comes at a cost: Wi-Fi networks leave home computer users open to unprecedented levels of security breaches.
Wi-Fi's radio signals carry up to 100 metres, and anyone within range can pick them up. That is good news if you want to take your laptop into the garden and connect to the net from there. But radio waves are no respecters of household boundaries, and that can leave the network wide open to an intruder operating a Wi-Fi PC from a neighbouring house, or sitting in a car outside.
Most Wi-Fi networks come with security features to prevent this. But they are not always easy to implement, so many users do not bother. And with Wi-Fi sales rocketing (see graph), this carefree approach is worrying security experts.
