Is Wireless Security a Lost Cause?

As enterprises continue to invest in wireless devices and networks, IT specialists will be faced with the growing challenge of maintaining and improving the security of those networks.
In many cases, they are getting the financial assistance they need to achieve this goal. Global spending on overall security and business continuity will grow at twice the speed of IT spending, reaching more than US$116 billion by 2007, according to research firm IDC. Corporate spending is IT professionals' top priority, the firm found, with 40 percent of about 1,000 IT managers rating security as their top concern.

Also, almost 25 percent of businesses now are installing wireless LANs, according to Forrester Research.
"Maybe 10 to 15 percent of the total installed base in the United States are doing mission-critical applications over wireless networks today," Tim Scannell, president and chief analyst at Shoreline Research, told the E-Commerce Times.