Category: Security

The bizarre saga involving the discovery and disclosure of WiFi driver vulnerabilities in Apple products continues. After SecureWorks researcher David Maynor revealed that the MacBook has a code execution flaw during the Black Hat conference, Apple decided to remove SecureWorks from the reporting credits concerning its patch. Now comes a statement saying that the two...

For cyber criminals, free wireless public networks provide great tools for stealing sensitive data of laptop owners. Users who are therefore not familiar with procedures to secure their computers could become victims of a "channeling" attack, a practice that allows hackers to obtain online banking passwords and other personal information by creating a fake access...

Cisco has teamed up with Congio to reduce the volume of radio interference around WLAN devices. Cognio's Spectrum Expert for WiFi -- a CardBus device that plugs into a Windows notebook -- can analyze WiFi interference and would complement the company's Wireless Control System. These tools would help companies deploy wireless LANs and manage interference...

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...