Wireless networks demand stringent security

August 2009 Information Security

The increase in mobile broadband services and the advent of new wireless technologies will increase the number of mobile workers who carry their business data on laptops and smart phones. They often connect to the Internet through home and public wireless local area networks (WLANs), easily exposing their data to hackers.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan entitled 'Innovations in wireless network security', finds that this spike in the number of WLANs and the advent of 802.11n specifications have hastened the development of wireless security technologies, since the ubiquity of WLAN has made wireless networks a soft target for a variety of attacks.

“The popularity of wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology has been growing rapidly in the past few years and it has become an indispensable part of mobile devices such as laptops, smartphones, mobile phones, and even portable media players,” explains Technical Insights research analyst Yin Fern Ko. “It is estimated that more than 90% of laptops in use today are equipped with Wi-Fi.”

Wireless network operators are often caught off guard and cannot detect and prevent attacks. Additionally, the rapid advances in technology in the wireless domain hinder the development of wireless security protocols.

“A number of enterprises today fail to understand the importance of defining and enforcing a centrally managed wireless network access policy,” notes Frost & Sullivan research analyst Achyuthanandan S. “They must be made to understand that it is the policy and not the technology itself that governs the security aspects of a wireless network.”

In fact, a clear policy, along with basic security measures is, more often than not, sufficient for protecting wireless networks from the majority of issues. Numerous enterprises continue to place faith in standard protocols such as wired equivalent privacy (WEP) despite their many vulnerabilities. To combat such user apathy and enhance the security in the wireless domain, network operators must improve the awareness of end users.

“Employees are considered the biggest threats to wireless security because not many are aware of what is at stake if the data residing in their smart phones or laptops is compromised or lost to an intruder,” observes Achyuthanandan. “They often skirt security rules, leaving their entire organisation at the mercy of attackers. Hence, it is important for the companies to accord higher priority to employee education.”

For more information contact Patrick Cairns, Frost & Sullivan, +27 (0)18 468 2315, [email protected], www.frost.com





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Highest increase in global cyberattacks in two years
Information Security News & Events
Check Point Global Research released new data on Q2 2024 cyber-attack trends, noting a 30% global increase in Q2 2024, with Africa experiencing the highest average weekly per organisation.

Read more...
Identity is a cyber issue
Access Control & Identity Management Information Security
Identity and access management telemetry has emerged as the most common source of early threat detection, responsible for seven of the top 10 indicators of compromise leading to security investigations.

Read more...
Identity and authentication
Technews Publishing SMART Security Solutions Access Control & Identity Management Information Security Security Services & Risk Management
Identity authentication is a crucial aspect of both physical security and cybersecurity. SMART Security Solutions obtained insights into the topic and the latest developments from three companies.

Read more...
From QR code to compromise
Information Security News & Events
A new attack vector involves threat actors using fraudulent QR codes emailed in PDF attachments to bypass companies' phishing security measures by requiring users to scan the code with their mobile phones.

Read more...
Organisations fear AI-driven cyberattacks, but lack key defences
Kaspersky Information Security News & Events Training & Education
A recent Kaspersky study reveals that businesses are increasingly worried about the growing use of artificial intelligence in cyberattacks, with 56% of surveyed companies in South Africa reporting a rise in cyber incidents over the past year.

Read more...
Vodacom Business unveils new cybersecurity report
Information Security IoT & Automation
Cybersecurity as an Imperative for Growth offers insights into the state of cybersecurity in South Africa, the importance of security frameworks in digital resilience and the latest attack methods adopted by cyberattackers.

Read more...
Smart surveillance and cyber resilience
Axis Communications SA Surveillance Information Security Government and Parastatal (Industry) Facilities & Building Management
South Africa’s critical infrastructure sector has to step up its game regarding cybersecurity and the evolving risk landscape. The sector has become a prime target for cybercriminals on top of physical threat actors, and the consequences of an incident can be far-reaching.

Read more...
NIS2 compliance amplifies skills shortages and resource strain
Information Security Security Services & Risk Management
A new Censuswide survey, commissioned by Veeam Software reveals the significant impact on businesses as they adapt to this key cybersecurity directive, with 95% of EMEA businesses siphoning other budgets to try and meet compliance deadline.

Read more...
Cybersecurity needs 4,7 million professionals
Information Security
Despite all the efforts organisations worldwide put into preventing cyberattacks, global cybercrime has snowballed to $9,2 trillion in 2024 and is expected to grow by another 70% to $15,6 trillion by the end of a decade.

Read more...
Autonomous healing systems are the future
Infrastructure Information Security AI & Data Analytics
Autonomous healing software, an emerging technology, is gaining traction for its potential to transform how organisations manage software maintenance, security, and system performance.

Read more...