Security of the Wireless Networks at Home and in the Office - Essay Example

With the passage of time, there is explosive development in wireless computing, both in organizations and at home, and this presents totally different security problems. The security problem of Wireless networks is different in homes as compared to organizations. In the organizations' individuals setting up the network sometimes fail to understand the security requirements.

The equipment of wireless networks comes with a default setting configured by the manufacturer. If this default setting is not changed then it gives benefit to hackers. Hackers, who know the default setting, can gain access to a wireless network. In this way, the network fails to require the identification and verification of all users. Many Government and private sector organizations have installed high-speed wireless networks. However, there is substantial variation in the security measures built into these networks.

According to Chris Hurley WarDriving is “the act of moving around a precise area and mapping the population of wireless access points for statistical ideas.” In the definition, Wardriving does not mean driving around in a car. It means to drive around in a specific area for getting an idea about data. Citizens have war driven just by walking around in a region with a PDA, or with the help of a laptop while taking a taxi or the subway. Chris Hurley is one of the originators of the yearly DefCon Wardriving Contest.

The contest now held in Las Vegas, where thousands of people from all over the world meet each year to converse issues concerning among other things wireless security. The first DefCon war drives took place in 2002, and 21 teams participated in having more than eighty contestants. The rules were relatively straightforward; the criteria for awarding points was based on the following based on factors, listed below: - There was one given for every Access Point. - Two extra points for A.P.’s with default SSID and no WEP enabled.