This week brought some bad news for mobile phone users. German security expert Karsten Nohl showed how easy it is to eavesdrop on GSM-based (Global System for Mobile Communications) cell phones, including those used by AT&T and T-Mobile customers in the U.S. to make tools available for people to verify its insecurities.. Nohl, who has a doctorate in computer engineering from the University of Virginia, made headlines last year publicizing weaknesses in wireless smart card chips used in transit systems around the globe. CNET interviewed Nohl via e-mail on Thursday about his latest work and what the implications are for the more than 3 billion GSM mobile phones worldwide, representing about 80 percent of the market, according to the GSM Alliance. Q: You made quite a splash at the Chaos Communication Congress hacker conference in Berlin this week. What happened? Nohl: We showed that GSM, the widely used cell phone standard, is insecure, and explained how your neighbor might already be listening in on your calls. After GSM's security was declared outdated several times before, we were the first The link for this article located at CNET is no longer available. . Explore Karsten Nohl's findings on GSM technology vulnerabilities, highlighting serious security issues impacting mobile user privacy and data protection globally. Mobile Eavesdropping, GSM Vulnerabilities, Security Research, Wireless Security. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
Wireless networking insecurity was a key theme of this week's InfoSecurity show with a number of suppliers coming out with surveys on just how vulnerable world+dog is to drive by hackers.. . .. Wireless networking insecurity was a key theme of this week's InfoSecurity show with a number of suppliers coming out with surveys on just how vulnerable world+dog is to drive by hackers. However a quick scout around the show yesterday revealed the problem is closer to home than most vendors would like to admit - half of the show's wireless LANs were wide open to attack. Using a Compaq iPAQ equipped with a 802.11b card, Rob Baskerville, a consultant at security services firm Vistorm, discovered that eight of the 15 networks he found were running WLANs without WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), often taken as a sign that networks are vulnerable. . Uncover essential takeaways from the CyberSecure expo on Wi-Fi weaknesses and protective strategies shared by industry experts.. Wireless Security,WLAN Vulnerabilities,InfoSecurity Show. . Anthony Pell
Corporations across America are opening their doors to hackers when they set up wireless networks--or when their employees set them up behind their backs. "We came across a company with one of these networks. All their source code, everything was available," . . . . Corporations across America are opening their doors to hackers when they set up wireless networks--or when their employees set them up behind their backs. "We came across a company with one of these networks. All their source code, everything was available," said Thubten Comberford of White Hat Technologies, a wireless security firm. "This network was beaconing, 'log onto me'...It basically had its Rolls-Royce parked in the driveway, engine running, with a sign saying 'steal me.'" If you think your company doesn't have to worry, you might want to double-check. According to Gartner Dataquest, about 30 percent of all companies with a computer network have some kind of wireless network, either official or rogue. Furthermore, if the business or cafe next door has a wireless network, you might be in trouble. The link for this article located at ZDNet is no longer available. . Businesses jeopardize their security by misconfiguring or overlooking wireless networks, leaving confidential information vulnerable.. Wireless Security Risks, Corporate Network Vulnerabilities, Hacker Access Prevention, Unauthorized Wireless Networks. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
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