Anti-Wi-Fi Wallpaper

Alephcat writes "New Scientist is reporting on a wallpaper that can prevent hackers accessing secure networks via Wi-Fi - without blocking mobile phone signals - that's been developed by a British defence contractor. It is based on covert 'stealth' technology that was originally designed to hide military radars."

Comments

Where'd The Town Go?

[ackthpt]

It is based on covert 'stealth' technology that was originally designed to hide military radars."

"Heathrow Tower, we can see London, but RADAR says it doesn't exist, then this weird music starts playing and this guy gets up from his seat with a big book and says we've entered some twilight thingie!"

That's fine... but

[Anonymous Coward]

what's to stop me from establishing a VPN connection over my GPRS cell? Either way, they can't win.

New Hats!

[zrobotics]

Well i guess tinfoil hats are about to be replaced. as an additional bonus, it is now easier to shield your entire body from "the man"!

Re:Deja Vu

[AKAImBatman]

I did! I did see the Puttee Tat! I did!

Cost effective???

[Atryn]

Ok, let me quote a couple spots to see if I understand this correctly...

The technology is designed to stop outsiders gaining access to a secure network by using Wi-Fi networks casually set up by workers at the office.

Ok, so we are talking about stopping "casually set up" convenience networks, not hackers.

But it is also the work of moments then for an outsider to breach that company's computer security using the Wi-Fi connection.

Ok, so it only takes moments to detect if an employee has done this.

Until now, the only way to ensure people are not illicitly gaining access to company secrets has been to turn offices into a signal-proof "Faraday cage", by lining the walls with aluminium foil, and using glass that absorbs radio waves in the windows.

Clearly this solution is expensive and unsightly.

The wall covering can be mass produced at relatively low cost. A square metre will cost about £500: peanuts to big business.

$921 / square meter?!?!?! That's what, roughly $175,000 worth of wallpaper for a 200 square meter open cubicle-filled office space.

Wouldn't it be easier and less expensive to:

1. Train workers not to set up Wi-Fi
2. Have IT periodically scan for active networks

Smells like a conspiracy to me.

[MarkGriz]

That damn paint-and-wallpaper trade group is just trying to scare everyone so they can unload a warehouse full of surplus foil wallpaper that went out of style in the 70's

Who needs wallpaper when you can just fight back?

[vizualizr]

Maybe I'm the only one who ran across http://www.evilscheme.org/defcon/ this little gem , but this seems like a very good low-budget option for striking back at your friendly neighborhood wi-fi swipers.