Scientists Question Wireless Security

The popularity of wireless networking has ushered in widespread industry adoption of the Wi-Fi, or 802.11b, communications standard. Just this week, computing giants Intel and Microsoft gave the protocol their backing, both joining the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance board of directors. Microsoft's upcoming Windows XP will even nativley support the standard. But scientists have now put into question the integrity of information broadcast over Wi-Fi networks, citing weak encrypton.

It is no surprise that methods have been uncovered to give hackers the ability to bypass Wi-Fi's built-in security system, dubbed Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). Last March, a group of researchers at the University of Maryland documented severe weaknesses in WEP. However, wireless supporters downplayed the potential for criminal mischief due to the complexity involved. Even still, it was simply a matter of time before more practical means of intrusion were discovered.

Scientists from Cisco System and Israel's Weizmann Institute have uncovered a new, less complex, vulnerability in WEP encryption. According to Reuters, the latest exploit gives intruders access to an encryption key used to scramble information before any transference of data takes place.

The researchers intend to reveal details of their findings in Toronto while speaking at the Eighth Annual Workshop on Selected Areas in Cryptography. Advocates of the standard are quick to point out that other security measures should be implemented along side WEP.