An informative article taken from Moneyweb
byBelinda Anderson, MoneyWeb, 7 July 2005
If you keep your Bluetooth function on your mobile phone or PDA (personal digital assistant) switched on, you could just find your address book deleted, or your phone log tapped into. Such attacks are called “Bluesnarfing”.
Speaking at a presentation on the security risks of wireless networks, Ernst & Young analyst Justin Williams warned that as phones became more advanced, they became increasingly like computers, with all the associated security risks.
Williams said Bluetooth, which can be used to synchronise data and connect to a wireless headset, was the most common wireless personal areas network (PAN).
Anyone with a Bluetooth device, who keeps the function switched on all the time and receives MMS (Multimedia Messaging) messages from unknown sources, is open to having the information stored on their device compromised. To avoid that, Williams says one should keep the Bluetooth function switched off as much as possible, and make sure one has the latest “firmware” on their phone (a Google search should reveal how vulnerable one’s specific phone is).
Other network types are local area networks (LANs) and metropolitan or wide area networks (MANs and WANs). In wireless terms, a LAN is more commonly known as a WiFi or wireless hotspot, the kind of network, which can be accessed in airport lounges, some coffee shops (like Mugg & Bean) and hotels via a laptop-based PCMCIA (data) card. There are numerous WiFi standards, some more secure than others, and new, more secure standards are being ratified all the time.
Williams said so-called ‘power users’ of technology were increasingly demanding mobile wireless connectivity at the office, for example to enable them to move around without being forced to reconnect to the network, and being able to synchronise data and messaging in real time.
Williams said one could learn from technology leader Microsoft, which was aiming to rid the organisation of cables and operate a completely wireless connection, with converged voice, video and data. Benefits would include improved productivity, better network management, cost savings and bandwidth.
Key concerns for any company going wireless were security, being able to effectively manage the network and getting a return on the investment required to convert from a wired to a wireless network.
Companies are going wireless. But, many still don’t understand the risks. Ernst and Young conducted some ‘unscientific’ studies on behalf of clients in Durban and Richard’s Bay, driving around with a PC to detect wireless networks. In Durban, Williams said it had detected 102 networks, 57% of those not encrypted, some of these belonging to big, prominent companies. In Richards Bay, it easily picked up 31, 29 of which were unprotected.
Common MAN and WAN networks include iBurst (wireless broadband offered by Wireless Business Solutions), 3G and GSM (mobile high speed data technology), Sentech’s MyWireless, and WiMax. The latter technology, once introduced, could mean the death of cables and the introduction of wireless, converged broadband, voice and data. While there are currently no certified WiMax products, there are some coming out soon. And Williams said he believed Telkom was piloting WiMax using two base stations in Pretoria.
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