Half of wireless networks can be hacked in less than five seconds

Companies need to educate staff on the dangers of using wireless networks

Public wi-fi can pose a security threat

A study commissioned by life assistance company CPP reveals that across six UK cities nearly 40,000 networks were at high risk from attack and could be accessed in under five seconds.

Using freely available software, CPP was able to identify unsecured wireless networks and concluded that almost a quarter of private networks had no password attached.

The study also identified a substantial risk in using publicly available networks, which is especially concerning for companies, as these are likely to be accessed by mobile devices used for work.

Ethical hackers were able to obtain usernames and passwords from unsuspecting people using public networks at a rate of more than 350 an hour. It was also shown that within the space of an hour, more than 200 people accessed a fake Wi-Fi network which they believed to be legitimate.

Robert Chapman, CEO for Firebrand, provider of accelerated IT training, said this should prompt IT managers to educate staff on the dangers of wireless networks.

“Around 70 per cent of wireless network security breaches are because of people, and not because of the IT department. It is a failure of corporate governance,” says Chapman.

“Go to most CEOs and they will say they have the latest software and firewalls. However, rarely do they say they have taught staff basic lessons on network security."