Wireless

A new security technique promises to uniquely identify any Wi-Fi device in the world, so hackers cannot hide behind a fake MAC address.

Every wireless device has a unique signal "fingerprint" produced by variations produced in the manufacturing process for silicon components, according to Dr Jeyanthi Hall, a post-graduate working at Carleton University in Ottawa.

As a doctoral student, Dr Hall analyzed the RF signals of fifteen devices from six manufacturers, and found it was possible to distinguish clearly, even between devices from the same manufacturer.

Singapore Telecommunications is putting together a pilot of VoIP over WiFi using dual mode cell phones ahead of a planned commercial service to be launched next year.
The island State already has some 330 SingTel wireless hotspots in place which will be brought into service to allow a select group of SingTel mobile customers to make VoIP calls using a range of Nokia dual mode phones according to this story on mobilised.

If you think seeing a dozen wireless networks makes your computer the ultimate scanning box, think again. A small security firm has made a portable computer that is capable of scanning 300 networks simultaneously. Dubbed the "Janus Project", the computer also has a unique "Instant Off" switch that renders the captured data inaccessible.

An industry group of wireless networking companies said Tuesday it will start certifying next-generation routers and network cards in 2007, a year before official standards are expected.

Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, said that without a certification program, the market could have been fragmented by the growing number and variety of pre-standard "Draft N" or "Pre-N" products claiming faster speeds and greater range. The products take their names from the 802.11n standard.

How insecure is Wired Equivalent Privacy?

Say you wanted to protect your Wi-Fi network from surrounding buildings. The most obvious way to do this would be to secure the devices on your network using the wireless security protocol of choice. A very effective, but more extreme, way to do this would be to secure the building itself by making it act as a Faraday cage, shielding the radio frequency waves used by Wi-Fi. Making a large building into a Faraday cage involves encasing the building in a thin layer of conductive material or metal mesh.

Wireless device drivers for computers running both Apple Computer and Microsoft operating systems appear to be full of holes, and a prominent security researcher recommends turning off wireless cards until the holes can be fixed.

Last night, Intel and the SANS Internet Storm Center announced three Centrino vulnerabilities that can also be used to take over computers using Centrino-based wireless cards.

Introduced in 2003 by Intel, the Centrino package comprises the CPU chip, chipset, and wireless network module.

Free tools crack WEP and WPA with ease, McAfee expert warns.

Wireless networks are extremely vulnerable to intrusion from hackers - even with encryption switched on, say leading security experts.

Foundstone, a division of McAfee, cautioned that the tools needed to carry out such attacks are freely available on the internet and that some distributions of Linux are specially pre-configured for these tasks.

Apple's iPod gets far more buzz, but it's "boring" wireless connectivity that many computer users find more indispensable.

At least that's one of the results of a survey conducted by Kelton Research and sponsored by the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) trade association. About eight of 10 surveyed (of the 551 total nationwide) said they would rather give up their iPod than their wireless network. The survey participants were 18 to 64 years old and all had experience with wireless computer technology in their home.

You've probably come across the concept of Wi-Fi hot spots-wireless connections to the internet that are increasingly available in hotels, airports and even your local baristas and caf coffee days. The ones that let you roam all over the place and still stay connected to the virtual world. Ever wondered what it would be like to have a similar luxury at home? If you could actually chat on your computer, while at the same time your husband answers his e-mail on his notebook? Or maybe surf while you lounge at the pool downstairs? Sounds complicated and touch too expensive?