Airwave Hackers Spark Computer Alert

December 2004

Almost two-thirds of wireless computers installed in offices, homes and public buildings have no basic security safeguards and can be snooped on by amateur hackers, according to a Sunday Times investigation.

The lack of protection means that e-mails and sensitive computer files can be accessed by hackers using little more than a laptop and an antenna.

The revelation has sparked concern among the police and will come as a shock to tens of thousands of computer users as the popularity of wireless, or wi-fi, technology soars.

Over three days, a Sunday Times reporter accompanied by three IT security consultants discovered that he could have:
  • Accessed potentially sensitive data being sent from departments at a hospital in Bristol.
  • Snooped on guests using a wireless network at a luxury hotel in central London.
  • Intercepted communications between two people logged on to the network of a leading accountancy firm.
  • And identified 70 wi-fi networks in three of London’s most affluent residential areas which were vulnerable to hacking. Usernames and passwords for personal e-mail accounts were openly on display.


Wi-fi technology allows computers to "talk" to each other by transmitting data across radio waves instead of using cables. Many businesses are installing wireless networks so that employees can access the internet and company data from laptops. Most new laptops have an inbuilt wi-fi capability.

The wireless trend is being echoed in homes because it allows people to work from the bedroom or garden rather than being tied to a fixed internet socket. All that is required is a wi-fi box costing about £50.

Wireless technology is now also commonly found in public spaces, such as airports, railway stations and coffee shops.

The number of so-called "wi-fi hotspots" in Britain is set to increase dramatically from 7,800 now to nearly 22,000 by 2008, according to forecasts by IDC, a market research firm specialising in IT. They predict that the number of wireless users will rise from 450,000 to 3.7m over the same period.

Experts, however, believe that many wi-fi users are not aware of the potential threat from hackers. Because wireless networks are based on radio signals, they can be detected by unauthorised users tuning into the same frequency.

Although such networks can be protected with passwords and their transmissions encrypted, most wi-fi devices do not have these security measures activated.

Last week The Sunday Times tested the security of wireless networks in London and Bristol using a wi-fi enabled laptop and an antenna - costing just £30 - to amplify its range.

Software downloaded for free off the internet allowed the laptop to "sniff" out networks and, crucially, highlight those which transmit unencrypted data.

During a four-hour drive through the capital, taking in residential and commercial addresses, the reporter identified 2,222 wi-fi networks, of which 64% were unencrypted and open to potential abuse.

In the City, 73% of wireless networks identified were unencrypted, while this figure fell to 52% around Canary Wharf.

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