Laptop users, beware: a new program allowing hackers to grab data transmitted through the air could compromise most wireless Internet networks used in airports, hotels, hospitals and colleges. AirSnort, which was released on the Internet last week, exploits flaws in . . .
Laptop users, beware: a new program allowing hackers to grab data transmitted through the air could compromise most wireless Internet networks used in airports, hotels, hospitals and colleges. AirSnort, which was released on the Internet last week, exploits flaws in the encryption used to secure traffic on the standard network, known as Wi-Fi or 802.11b. "What we discovered is that the encryption used is very faulty," said Jeremy Bruestle, who co-wrote the AirSnort program. "All data between multiple computers in a company is leaking out over the air."

The University of Miami uses the wireless 802.11b network, the same network Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport are planning to use when they install common wireless infrastructures in the near future. The standard Wi-Fi encryption system used is WEP, or Wired Equivalent Privacy, which is supposed to protect data as it is transmitted. However, a recent paper written by a team of researchers, including cryptographer Adi Shamir, described a theory that would allow hackers to discover the key to the encryption system.

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