“The good news here is that the rapid pace of device and technology change means there is a limited pool of target devices for any particular malicious software. The ability of these devices to be infected is also rather recent,” Bult says. “It is not too late for a business to develop and implement a robust wireless security plan.”

For workers accessing corporate systems from public wireless networks, such as those in airports and coffee shops, use of a virtual private network connection—such as those used commonly in home offices—should be mandatory. Virtual private networks use encryption to build a “pseudo-private” network inside a public network.

It may come as a surprise, but Bult has discovered that some companies remain vulnerable: “I know of more than one Twin Cities company that I have personally found to have wireless access points that are totally unsecured. This [allows] any person to gain access to the corporate data network behind the firewall and would allow them to try to hack into the company’s servers. This is especially a problem in multi-tenant locations, where wireless signals from one company’s access points can leak over into the space occupied by another company.” Encrypting the wireless network at each access point would protect these companies.

Basic protocol, such as merely turning your security features on, can provide some protection. But if you take security a few steps further and create a policy that backs up your security plan, chances are you won’t become prey to hackers or opportunists. 

 

It’s Getting Hot In Here: Wireless Minneapolis

Minneapolis is well on its way to becoming a wi-fi hot zone. In November, the City of Minneapolis signed a contract with Minnetonka-based U S Internet Corporation—the company will provide wireless broadband service throughout Minneapolis and is building the $20 million network at its own expense.

A pilot program in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood got the ball rolling. Radio antennae for the network are being installed in six sections of the city, starting with downtown Minneapolis, which may be wi-fi–ready in June. James Farstad, program manager for Wireless Minneapolis and president of RClient, LLC, a technology consulting firm in Minneapolis, says that the implementation will start out slowly and then get faster, with project completion slated for the end of 2007.

Farstad says there are four main ways in which the hot zone will affect businesses:

{1} The City of Minneapolis will improve service delivery for residents and visitors. City employees that are mobile, such as public-works and public-safety personnel, will be equipped with tools that provide them with information more quickly. For example, building inspectors could call up past violations on their mobile devices while in the field, and patient information could be sent from an ambulance while it is en route to the hospital.

{2} Each neighborhood will be provided with a Web portal that provides neighborhood-specific content, which could include postings for schools and community centers, and information on local businesses.

{3} Wireless Minneapolis will provide affordable broadband Internet connectivity. Residents will pay $19.99 per month for access and businesses will pay $39.99 per month. The prices will be capped for 10 years.

{4} The network will help promote Minneapolis as a stand-out choice for doing business, relocating, and holding meetings and conventions.

As part of its agreement with U S Internet, the city negotiated for neighborhood portals, which are community-oriented Web pages for the various Minneapolis neighborhoods. For instance, if you stopped to get coffee in Kingfield and logged onto the Internet, Kingfield's very own community Web portal would pop up. The way in which the neighborhood portals will operate is still being discussed, but businesses that are trying to target customers in certain neighborhoods stand to benefit from content that is provided in the prevalent language of the neighborhood's residents—for example, English, Somali, or Spanish.

>Farstad says that Wireless Minneapolis was also designed with security in mind. Kurt Lange, U S Internet’s cofounder, says his company uses the best security methods available today to ensure user safety. Any wi-fi user can create a virtual private network as an added level of security. Farstad points out that some of the responsibility for security necessarily falls on the shoulders of the end user. "We've built this with the idea that it can evolve. We want it to stay current and stay state-of-the art," Farstad says.

The initiative is being touted as an entrepreneur’s dream come true. “The interesting thing is we don’t know all the applications nor will we think of them,” Lange says, “but this technology will enable the business user to a new level.”

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