Where´s the Security in WiFi? An Argument for Industry Awareness

As more and more wirelessly connected networks come online, security becomes a prominent concern. WiFi insecurity can result in detrimental effects to both individuals and organizations. To establish a greater awareness of the problems associated with wireless security and the extent to which the so-called digital divide effects such problems, we examine the relationship between wireless access points collected via war driving and a series of US Census socio-economic variables in two communities in the United States. We found significant correlations between WiFi security race/ethnicity, which may also correlate to education levels and income. Such findings suggest that a greater awareness and/or manufacturer-driven default security for wireless access points may be necessary to ensure better security.