Click to play videoMumbai: Convenience and ease have helped in introducing newer technologies in the country but if wifi networks are to stay so would their vulnerabilities.
Three instances in Mumbai – the wifi network of Kenneth Haywood, an American national, was used to sent a mail post for Ahmedabad blasts; from Khalsa college in Central Mumbai a terror e-mail was sent to country’s media organisation and later the wifi of an engineering company in Chembur was used to sent an e-mail immediately after Delhi serial blasts – have already indicated the vulnerability of wifi networks.
And in all these instances the owners of the networks have been clueless about the hacking.
“We were not aware,” said Kenneth Haywood.
Though these recent cases have changed some users’ perception about wifi security, there are still some who don’t bother to place any level of security.
“Most of the people haven't bothered to place any level of security, surprising,” says a IT and mobile system security expert Keyur Karnik.
When CNN-IBN correspondent tried to check the security level of wifi networks in some of the famous Mumbai streets, he found that there are still many wifi networks where creating fictitious e-mail addresses and sending them was a piece of cake.
"There are three levels of security – the basic WEP, the WPA/2 as well as the next level. The first one is so basic anyone with the slightest expertise could get through while the later ones are almost the same price and effort. Then why not apply that?” says Karnik.
CNN-IBN duly informed the company but open networks are a reality across hotels, international banks, public service utilities as well as business establishments.
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