I did an interview earlier this week with Mitch Wagner for InternetWeek about the reason that WiFi alarmism is just plain FUD. The story’s up, along with a poll on the subject.
The one kernel of truth in all the controversy: Wi-Fi network users can eavesdrop on clear traffic going over the network, Doctorow said. But that’s not a Wi-Fi problem, since any network where text is moving in the clear is susceptible to the same kind of eavesdropping. That’s a security problem in all types of networks, not just Wi-Fi.
“The problem is firewalls, which don’t work, haven’t worked and aren’t going to work,” Doctorow said. “Firewalls are bankrupt technology predicated on the idea that everyone on one side of the firewall is trustworthy, and no one on the other side of the firewall is trustworthy.” But in fact, criminals often gain access to the network from the inside. In past months, authorities have arrested several people accused of making criminal use of network access gained by virtue of being present or former employees of the companies they were charged with stealing from. And firewalls aren’t the only source of troubles: Many Internet service providers are still transmitting passwords in clear text over the network.
The solution is not to limit Wi-Fi, but rather to install personal firewalls on each computer, and encrypt all traffic going over the network, Doctorow said.
(Thanks, Mitch!)