Wireless LAN products are becoming increasingly popular, with a growing number of companies implementing them to extend their LANs. Many IT administrators wonder if wireless LAN access pose a new type of security risk. In fact, most WLAN products now have . . .
Wireless LAN products are becoming increasingly popular, with a growing number of companies implementing them to extend their LANs. Many IT administrators wonder if wireless LAN access pose a new type of security risk. In fact, most WLAN products now have built-in security features such as encryption and authentication for increased data privacy.

But as wireless computing gets more popular, your data is not on the "wire" all the time anymore. When the data leaves the access point and travels to the NIC (and vice versa), it may be less secure than data that goes directly over the wire. This is a big security hole. Anyone with sensitive radio listening devices could capture data -- undetected -- by sitting in your parking lot, in a building next door, or even in the next room.

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