AML M7225 Handheld Computer - Manual (Page 33)

M7225 User’s Guide
33
Encryption and Authorization
Much has been publicized in the mass media recently about security problems with wireless LANs. Although it
cannot be denied that some encryption algorithms currently used in 802.11 are flawed, the fact is that security
breaches of a wireless LAN require a deliberate attempt to access the network by an intruder.
The primary issue is that many current users of wireless LAN have opted NOT to turn on security features. If users
were to enable the security features currently available (including only allowing known systems access to the
network and enabling WEP [Wired Equivalent Privacy] or WPA [Wifi Protected Access]) on even the most basic
access points, the intruder's work is much harder. Much as a burglar will stray away from a house whose doors
and windows are securely locked, so too will an attacker tend to move past a wireless network when even the
simplest security measures are enables.