Skip Links  Preventing wireless snooping  Wireless Wizards By
Bob O'Hara and Pat Calhoun, August 18, 2003 12:08 AM ET - Q: How
can I prevent people from eavesdropping on my wireless network?
– Alex, Pittsburgh  A: Unlike war driving (using such tools
as NetStumbler), which generates 802.11 traffic, eavesdropping
is a passive event that does not generate traffic, and is
therefore undetectable. However, there are some actions that can
prevent (or minimize) such activities. Contain your RF - Certain
enterprise-class access points can configure the antennae
patterns, minimizing the potential for your RF to leak outside
your building. If your access points do not support such a
feature, consider external antennae (again, assuming your access
points support this). Assistance from a knowledgeable systems
integrator may be necessary during the deployment process in
order to measure and control the amount of leakage outside your
building. Encrypt your data - This is probably the best
solution, and should be done even