[ISN] T-Mobile works to tighten Wi-Fi security

From: InfoSec News (isn@private)
Date: Tue Oct 14 2003 - 05:23:24 PDT

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    http://news.com.com/2100-7351_3-5090391.html
    
    By Richard Shim 
    Staff Writer, CNET News.com
    October 13, 2003
    
    T-Mobile USA is adopting a specification that's designed to prevent 
    the hijacking of information between a Wi-Fi network and a client 
    device, a move that's aimed at improving the security of its wireless 
    hot spots. 
    
    The Bellevue, Wash.-based wireless company announced on Monday that it 
    has been testing the 802.1x security specification at selected hot 
    spots, which are public places where wireless Web access is available. 
    It said it plans to add support of the specification across its entire 
    Wi-Fi network in the United States by the second quarter of next year. 
    
    Securing the transmission of data over wireless networks is a major 
    concern for information technology managers, and so far, it has been a 
    limiting factor in businesses' adoption of Wi-Fi technology, according 
    to analysts. However, as more traveling professionals use the 
    technology as a convenient means of accessing corporate data and 
    e-mail, information technology administrators may feel more 
    comfortable; public wireless access should become more secure as 
    specifications such as 802.1x and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) become 
    more prevalent. 
    
    The 802.1x specification tackles a major security concern over access 
    control and the use of Wi-Fi wireless networking technology: It stops 
    information from being intercepted while it is being transferred 
    between a Wi-Fi network and a client computer or other device. 
    
    "More IT departments will have to audit the venues that employees use 
    to access corporate data, and as more service providers use these 
    security specifications, the more likely businesses are to use them," 
    said John Yunker, an analyst with research firm Pyramid Research.
    
    Still, there is some skepticism among IT professionals about the 
    effectiveness of these measures, simply because many are relatively 
    untested. 
    
    "This is a good step in the right direction, but all of these 
    specifications are fairly new, so people need them to be out longer in 
    order to gain trust in them," said Allen Nogee, an analyst with 
    research firm In-Stat/MDR. "Usually, the test of time will prove 
    whether or not they are successful." 
    
    Security concerns aren't slowing the use of hot-spot service for 
    T-Mobile USA, according to Joe Sims, general manager of T-Mobile 
    HotSpot, who noted that businesses accounted for 88 percent of the 
    network's usage. 
    
    "We want to remove whatever barriers that big businesses have in terms 
    of security and help smaller businesses that don't have IT support to 
    feel more comfortable using our hot-spot service," Sims said. 
    
    T-Mobile has 3,000 hot-spot locations in the United States. 
    
    The company noted Monday that its hot spots would be compatible with 
    Microsoft's Wireless Provisioning Services technology, which also 
    supports the 802.1x specification. Wireless Provisioning Services is 
    essentially an add-on to Windows XP that is designed to make it easier 
    for PC owners to make a connection via a Wi-Fi hot spot. The 
    technology will be available as a free upgrade to the operating system 
    at the beginning of next year. 
    
    
    
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