Tag: Security

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill that would label WiFi routers with security warning stickers. The law, which will take effect on October 1, 2007, aims to ensure that consumers would know how to activate security setting on a new home networking equipment. Schwarzenegger also vetoed a bill that would restrict the way the...

New portable gaming devices with wireless capabilities like Sony's PSP (PlayStation portable system) and Nintendo DS are raising concerns among parents. Parents have less control on these gadgets unlike with PCs, which allow them a number of options to restrict or monitor their kids' activities, such as installing Net Nanny, a program to block pornography...

Johnny Cache angered alot of Mac faithful with his Blackhat talk about wireless driver vulnerabilities in Mac's. His recent silence has not helped things. However his silence has been lifted when talking about the vulnerability from the perspective of an Intel driver. The Mac faithful still claim he's lying, but his attention to responsible disclosure...

Aruba CEO Dominic Orr expects wireless connectivity to become a standard segment of enterprise net infrastructure and will therefore be less interesting. Orr said: "'WLAN' is, if not dead, then uninteresting. Once it's 'spec-able' by the IEEE, most of the profit goes to the silicon makers. Eighteen months after 802.11n is standardized, the WLAN is...

Carleton University researcher Dr. Jeyanthi Hall has developed a new method that could end MAC address spoofing. Based on her radio frequency signal analysis for 15 devices, Hall found out that variations during the manufacturing process creates a unique signal for each of these devices. The signals were so distinct that she was able to...

California lawmakers endorsed a bill that will require manufacturers of wireless internet equipment to provide guidance on data security for wireless connections. The legislation, which still needs Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature, is expected to take effect on October 1, 2007. Under the law, companies must ensure WiFi-capable products have warning labels -- box stickers, special...

Experts believe WiMax will have the same security problems as WiFi. These problems, according to former Tipping Point security consultant Shawn Merdinger, include "weak management protocols and vulnerable applications -- embedded Web servers, unencrypted access via telnet and SNMP V1 and V2." Gartner's VP of mobile computing Ken Dulaney, however, stressed that any security problem...

Immunity is showing off thier Silica device, a handhelp wireless penetration tool. The $3000 device can automatically scan wireless networks and launch one of 150 attacks on the network, all while looking casual and covert. The device is powered by Immunity's Canvas pentration testing product and will be available in October. Via [theinquirer.net]

The Wi-Fi Alliance has unveiled Wi-Fi Protected Setup to allow for easier installation of safe Wi-Fi. According to the alliance, the program formerly known as "Wi-Fi Simple Config" will be available by the fourth quarter of 2006. WPS, it said, "is planned as an optional certification based on a standardised method for security setup in...

WiFi phones and security are somewhat at odds with each other. Using WPA/WPA2 enterprise on a WiFi phone introduces latency issues when users roam from one AP to another. Some Phones support WPA/WPA2-PSK, but even that introduces problem since the phone is authenticated but not the user. Via [techworld.com]

Extricom has added technology from Airtight Networks to shore up the security on thier blanket WiFi product line. The technology will hopefully make them a contender in the wireless security market. Via [techworld.com]

Anvil Technologies performed a demonstration of its Wi-Fi-supported emergency communications system at the Aldwych subway station in central London. The event took place a year after the London subway bombings, to which the response was considered generally efficient except for the difficulty of communication among the first responder groups. The Canadian wireless systems integrator worked...

At the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, two researchers showed how criminals can attack laptops due to a flaw in WiFi card software. David Maynor of SecureWorks and independent researcher Jon Ellch, aka Johnny Cache, opted for a video presentation instead of a live demo so as not to provide too much information...

Intel has discovered flaws in its Centrino's wireless technology that could make laptops hosting it susceptible to security attacks such as worms. The vulnerabilities, according to a statement by the company, "exist in the Microsoft Windows drivers for the Intel 2200BG and 2915ABG PRO/Wireless Network Connection Hardware because of the way that they currently handle...

A new study by JupiterResearch indicates that majority of consumers -- 60 percent -- use security applications such as WPA (WiFi Protected Access) and WPA2 on their wireless networks to protect their computers and data. JupiterResearch analyst Ina Sebastian said "security is the number one concern for Wi-Fi network owners" as "they are particularly afraid...