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Wardrivers of the world unit: you have only your Netstumblers to lose: The Wall Street Journal (through this free link at MSNBC) reports rather erratically on wardriving, including an upcoming World Wide Wardrive. The writer confuses and misstates several concepts, including repeating the security-business/FBI trope that warchalking is an adjunct to wardriving, rather than just another idea that happens to occasionally intersect. The writer says that warchalking helps people find free access points, but implies that these are ripoffs instead of perhaps community or intentionally free hot spots.
The writer also doesn't seem to understand the differences between a network name or SSID and a network password (meaning access to the AP's configuration? the WEP key?), and doesn't explain the reason that wardrivers can scan for open APs. The writer says that wardrivers claim to be warning companies to change their network password, which makes no sense. The article also maintains that Netstumbler only looks for default SSID names.
There's also no explanation in the article that merely knowing an AP's name is a passive scanning activity, and that trying to associate with access point could require much more than just a name, like authentication information. The writer muddies the water by making it seem that an AP is a direct Internet conduit, which is often not the case, especially in the corporate scenarios that are painted at risk.
True, many APs and networks are entirely open, or are protected just by our weak friend WEP. But the article just conveys alarm without the background needed for calm interpretation of risks.
Other News
That microwave oven's more of a problem than UWB: FCC affirms that ultrawideband (UWB) doesn't appear to be even as much of a concern for interference as the noise from existing microwave ovens and laptops. This affirmation may pave the way for higher-powered versions of the technology, approved for limited short-range purposes earlier this year. UWB carries information in sequences of extremely short duration, wideband pulses instead of most data transmission technologies, which use continuous modulation of relatively narrow bands.
Intersil offers a/b/g chips for testing: Intersil is sampling Duette for its customers, a two-chip, 2.4/5 GHz solution for 802.11a, b, and g's current framework.