Subject: [NEXTEL-1] WorldWide WarDrive Expected to Reveal Continued Widespread Lack of Security in Wireless Networks

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 16:02:28 -0400

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WorldWide WarDrive Expected to Reveal Continued Widespread Lack of Security in Wireless Networks; Bluesocket Responds With WarDrive Defense Offer To Prevent WLAN Vulnerabilities

Source: Business Wire

Publication date: 2002-10-24

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2002--Next week from
Oct. 26 to Nov. 2, from Brazil to New Zealand; Barcelona to Des
Moines, a group of security professionals and WLAN hobbyists plan The
Next WorldWide WarDrive, to call attention to the need of users of
wireless networks to secure their access points.
www.worldwidewardrive.org. In response, wireless security vendor,
Bluesocket, Inc. (www.bluesocket.com) has announced the WarDrive
Defense loaner program to protect organizations during the wardrive.

In the First WorldWide WarDrive (Aug. 31 to Sept. 7, 2002) 200
participants used wirelessly-enabled laptop computers and sniffing
software (e.g. NetStumbler) to detect and map almost 10,000 wireless
access points (APs) around the world. Shockingly, nearly 70% of these
APs were not running with any form of wireless security enabled.

Next week's wardrive is intended by its loose confederation of
organizers to evangelize that most wireless networks are not secured
and the owners/managers of these WLANs run the risk that their
networks might be accessed by uninvited 'visitors'. Potentially,
unauthorized users of wireless networks run the gamut from benign
hackers who attempt access for 'sport', to malevolent intruders who
break into the networks for profit or with criminal intent.

"The upcoming WorldWide WarDrive will attract a larger number of
participants than earlier wardrives, who in turn will detect an even
greater count of unsecure access points," said Geoff Davies, managing
director of i-sec, a London-based IT security consultancy. In
September 2001, I-Sec identified more than 60 vulnerable networks
during a 45-minute drive around the City of London. "As more wireless
networks are deployed without using appropriate security technology,
the potential for security breaches increases dramatically," said
Davies.

"Bluesocket, Inc (www.bluesocket.com) builds products to secure
and manage wireless networks," said Eric Janszen, CEO, Bluesocket,
Inc. "Many organizations will not want to see their wireless LANs
attacked during the wardriving event next week. Some will shut off
their wireless LANs or turn on WEP security. Both of these approaches
will potentially deny legitimate access to many users of their
wireless LANs," said Janszen.

To show how well Bluesocket products prevent attacks on wireless
LANs without preventing access by legitimate users; Bluesocket is
making available 100 WG-1000 Wireless Gateways on loan for the period
of the wardriving event starting Oct. 24, 2002. To participate, call:
+1-781-328-0800 x240 or send email to [email-masked]

Bluesocket's award-winning Wireless Gateways give users of moblile
devices wireless access to networks and the Internet while moving
within their campus buildings, other premises and public coverage
areas with Secure Mobility(TM). Bluesocket provides comprehensive
access control to manage wireless authentication and authorization,
encryption for airlink privacy and other essential features to enable
WLANs to operate in a secure manner. "Bluesocket delivers a completely
tailored, standards-agnostic wireless solution which addresses the
security recommendations we advise our clients to adopt," said i-sec's
Davies.

About Bluesocket

Bluesocket, Inc. (www.bluesocket.com) manufactures solutions
enabling enterprises and organizations (e.g. KPMG Consulting and
Harvard Medical School) to manage and secure their wireless local area
networks (WLANs). With offices in Burlington, Mass., Silicon Valley
(USA), London (UK) and Asia, Bluesocket, Inc. is a privately held,
global corporation managed by executives from British Telecom,
Ericsson, Intel, Nortel; other industry leaders.

Publication date: 2002-10-24

© 2002, YellowBrix, Inc.

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