MIT Demos Wi-Fi That's So High-Tech It Doesn't Need a Password (mic.com)

An anonymous reader shares an article on MIC: Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology want to change how we connect to Wi-Fi. To avoid the cumbersome network login process, a team has come up with a way to grant computers access to a Wi-Fi network based on their proximity to a router. Applied practically, that means you could walk into a cafe and your device would automatically connect to a network -- no annoying password necessary. The same could be true for a home network. When your friends come over, they could immediately be granted access to your Wi-Fi. The paper (PDF), sadly, doesn't offer details on the security aspect. Security researchers advise that one should be careful when connecting to a public Wi-Fi. Say you forget to turn off Wi-Fi on your device, and you walk into a cafe. Your phone will automatically establish a connection with this supposed network. If the network is compromised, plenty of devices will be exposed to attack.

Comments

Cool

[Anonymous Coward]

It's like every open access point ever. Range-limited authentication. Great work MIT. Patent that shit.

Re:Cool

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

This is why certain people shouldn't read SlashDot on...April Fools Day.

(In fact, I'm only here today to watch and comment on the OVER-reaction of people who don't realize what SlashDot becomes on April 1.)

Re:Cool

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

I have mod points, but using them on April Fools day seems like shooting blanks at the Moon- pointless and/or meaningless.

Which, now that I think of it, makes me wonder if my mod points are actually real or not....

Ah well, perhaps it's best to wait a few days until all the posts about solar-powered slippers and helium-filled paperweights have ceased being posted.