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The Wireless Web - Is it Secure?

Posted by Cliff on from the i-would-hope-so dept.

This curious member of Clan Anonymous Coward asks: "I really know very little about the technical details of Sprint's Wireless Web network, AT&T's PocketNet service, and others like them. I'm wondering whether the encryption over the airwaves for these things is any good ('powered by RSA') and properly implemented." This is a decent question on what might turn out to be the next generation of communications services.

1 of 10 comments (clear)

  1. Answers... by rjh · · Score: 3

    #include "disclaimer.h" /* see my sig */

    Is the wireless Web secure? No. Is the Web secure? Also no. There is no difference, realistically, between wireless and wired networks. Have you ever used a satellite link to send data across the globe? A lot of people have and never realize it. The Net is a hybrid network; wired and wireless coexist equally. They only exist to transport data, and data sent in the clear is just as vulnerable on a wire as it is via wireless as it is via smoke signal.

    Remember that a network is only as secure as its weakest node. Unless you take significant precautions, your Web transactions are insecure, period. Even HTTPS isn't a great solution.