Risks to wireless networks - Wireless network vulnerability

Wireless Technology has overtaken all the communication mediums from the past few years. Cellular phones are no longer used as a luxury rather than a necessity and like this device, other wireless devices have provoked to the institutions like International Telecommunications Union, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer to create standards for wireless communications. Users possessing such devices have flexibility, convenience and can easily access any kind of information and to any kind of service from any area. There are other wireless technologies which are microwave, radio frequency transmission and number of cellular services. There are numerous tactics of reaching and experiencing wireless activities that may include Wireless Local Area Networks (LANs), Wider Area Wireless Networking, Specialized Mobile Radio and many others.

Coming to our Topic i.e. Wireless Vulnerability, here word vulnerability is not used in the sense of exposure but is termed as a weakness in a computing system that will consequence harm or damage the system’s operations. These weaknesses are generally exploited by a person or organization having any kind of hostility or due to some specific events or circumstances. Before discussing this vulnerability, let us revise some things about this enormous technology that has the revolutionized the medium of communication.

Wireless Technology:

“Wireless” like its name is that mode of communication in which transfer of information takes place without the use of wires. The distance can be long in nature like millions of kilometers for radio communications as well as short distance in form of television remote control that is few meters away. GPS units, garage door openers or garage doors, wireless computer mice and other related equipment, satellite television and cordless telephone are good examples of this vast technology. It also comprises of various types cellular telephones, PDAs i.e. personal digital assistants and wireless technology.

Applications of Wireless Technology:

Following are some of the applications of this Technology.

•  Cellular Telephone: It is the best example of this technology. Here radio waves are used to enable the operator to make phone calls from anywhere. 
•  Security Systems: In homes or office building, security systems possessing hard wired implementations are replaced by wireless technology. 
•  Television Remote Control: Generally infrared is used in most of the remote control units. 
•  Wi-Fi: Internet can be easily connected through this application; it is a wireless local area network that allows handy computing devices to connect to the internet. IEEE802.11 is its standard form. Since few years, Wi-Fi hotspots are popularly known everywhere. Apart from these, there are many other applications of this technology like Bluetooth etc.

Wireless Vulnerability in the Sense of Disadvantages:
whatever the technology is, when it comes, it brings benefits as well as limitations with it. Likewise, Wireless is not an exception. The major advantage of this technology is that there are no wires connected from or to any machine. People usually think that is might be expensive but it may not if installed in an existing setup.

One of the disadvantages is that it sometimes doesn’t give the performance like wired systems do. It gets slower and due to generation of sizeable radio waves, it can be interrupted by any interference because a huge amount of radio power is released when number of devices are transmitting information.

Conclusion:

Wireless technology was, is and will remain a challenge for potential users in sense of being up to date in such rapid technological advancement but one should keep it in mind that there are some computers possessing wireless internet proficiencies that are said to be vulnerable to mischievous software. Even if the owners themselves are not online the wicked hackers can simply invade the system.