Recent comments from cybercrime experts at Cranfield University highlighted the concerns of enterprises surrounding the use of Wi-fi. Whilst the benefits of using the 'hotspots' has never been in doubt; increased workforce flexibility, lower office costs and many more - security breaches are a constant leveller. The latest threat - 'Evil twin' - poses as a real hotspot but is in fact an unauthorised base station that dupes users into logging on and then gleans any data that can be gathered.
With analysts predicting the number of hotspots to reach 200,000 by 2008, there is an obvious need to allay these security fears. Individuals can minimise the impact of malicious attacks by using personal firewalls and accurately configuring device security, but should a device become infected it can leave a company network exposed to corporate hackers.
To safeguard against this possibility, companies can protect themselves by introducing end-point security, where, as the user connects to the intended service, the solution 'cleans' the machine before allowing the user to gain access to the service. This on-demand style means that end-point security is constantly in place regardless of location or what device is in use, including non-corporate assets such as home computers or Internet cafes.
According to Jason Colombo, Technical Director of Access Strategy specialist, C&C Technology, "Businesses totally rely on seamless access to data but need to be confident that security breaches do not compromise the information. The answer is to develop an Access Strategy, incorporating end-point security, that enables flexible working through secure anytime, anywhere, any device access for authorised users only."
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