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CALL FOR URGENT PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN

Wi Fi REVOLUTION SEES THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AND COMPANIES OPEN TO KERBSIDE HACKERS

A new survey has revealed that thousands of companies and home pc users using Wi Fi technology, are as vulnerable to Kerbside Hackers as if they let them into their office with free access to confidential computer files.

The survey, by WEB, the WiFi Education Bureau, and entitled "Watch out, there's a Wi Fi Thief about", estimates that tens of thousands of businesses in the UK are open to sabotage by kerbside snoopers.

Similarly a high proportion of home users are unprotected from neighbourhood snoopers who can view all their docments and spy on their online activity.

Commissioned by leading software and security company Aytel Systems, the survey took a snapshot view of Wi Fi access points in Cardiff, revealing the alarming extent of network vulnerability.

The survey comes at a time when Wi Fi sales are rocketing. Research from analyst firm GfK revealed that some 380,000 WiFi units were sold in the first quarter of 2006.

Without entering any networks, researchers took a car trip in the city, using a normal Wi Fi enabled laptop to identify countless unprotected computer systems and home pcs in the city.

Within one minute of the start-point an unsecured wireless connection was flagged up.  Using a default password, this system could have been infiltrated say the survey's authors.

After 1 hour and 2miles, 550 wireless netwoks were flagged in the business area, 60 of which were unsecured.

A subsequent 1 hour surveillance of a residential area of the city revealed that 320 Wi Fi sources were visible, 60% of which were unsecured.

WEB has called for an urgent public information campaign to immediately alert businesses and the public to secure their Wi Fi broadband conections at home in the office.

In the interim a free downloadable guide has been posted by WEB at www.wifieducationbureau.org, to show people how to prevent their networks and home pcs from being snooped.

Pete Patel, MD of Aytel Systems said: "Unsecured wireless connections leave both businesses and residential properties open to hackers, who are potentialy able to use Internet connections and access personal documents without being traced. This is another potential source of identity theft.

Part of the problem is that routers are supplied as 'plug and play' and people do not realise the security aspects of this.  Many routers are therefore left without password protection and can be accessed even on a palm top.

Our advice to home users is to immediately shut down their home Wi Fi and consult their router manual in order to protect their system from outside access."

Aytel warns that once kerbside hackers enter WiFi networks they can change passwords rendering users unable to access their own computer systems. 

Hackers can also download information using the unsecured network.  IP addresses can be scanned and admission gained into shared networks. People can even be locked out of their own servers.

Companies are advised to contact their IT specialists immediately to ensure their networks are secure, so that only authorised personnel are able to access Internet connections and shared networks.