Wi-Fi - your security Achilles heel?

Only a third of European companies using wireless LANs (WLANs) have issued security policies and many more are seemingly blasé about various aspects of making sure corporate networks aren't compromised.

Wireless LANs - now usually based on the Wi-Fi standard, also known as IEEE 802.11b - are increasingly popular within companies as well as in homes and at public 'hotspots'.

But the lax security is worrying. What's more surprising is that these findings have come from a survey of over 300 CEOs, MDs and other senior directors at companies attending last month's WLAN Event conference in London - users who may well be considered to be more educated about wireless LAN usage.

According to the survey, from London-based security outfit Orthus, almost half of respondents - 46 per cent - said they wouldn't know if their LANs had been compromised.

This is against a backdrop where many are using them for sensitive commercial data (27 per cent), personnel data (29 per cent) and intellectual property data (22 per cent) - all types of information companies wouldn't want falling into competitors' hands.

Andy Hogan, Orthus business development manager, said: "People spend millions on securing their hardwired systems and then linking to them and spending no effort on that. We find that virtually no one audits for vulnerabilities."

The survey also found only 30 per cent of companies are transmitting data over virtual private networks (VPNs) and only 41 per cent are deploying firewalls. Forty-three per cent said their WLANs are connected to their wireline corporate infrastructure - showing wireless can be an Achilles heel.

For more info on what you can do to ensure your Wi-Fi roll out is secure, click here.