IBM have announced they are to release software that will allow the protection of Wi-Fi networks from "drive-by hacking". This is the hijacking of wireless networks by people who go within the broadcast range and attempt to gain access to the network.
This new software works when installed on PCs and laptops on the network and it sends information on the network traffic to a central server. This information is then analysed by the server and when an access point is found to be configured incorrectly the administrators of the network are informed.
Wi-Fi networks are notorious for being easy to set up incorrectly and when a company does this it risks all the data on its network being exposed. Software like this has been badly needed for a while as in some companies audits have shown that employees have set up access points (incorrectly) without informing their network admin and this has resulted in security holes. This new software will work to prevent such mistakes and will mean that only properly configured access points can be used on a network without an alarm being raised.
At the moment Distributed Wireless Security Auditor is only available for Linux but IBM have been developing a commercial Windows version and this is expected to emerge later this year. Dave Safford from IBM has told ZDNet why this software is essential: "Hackers outside the building, across the street, can connect in to the internal network," he said. "They can use the network to break into internal servers and steal data.". He has also said that the software "turns machines into wireless auditing sniffers,".