A new innovation in the wifi market is Anyfi. It's a software-based product that makes every public Wi-Fi network available as a broadband connection.
In the first instance it looks like a great option for operators. It would improve their ability to leverage upon 'home' wifi-networks to improve their data network credentials, essentially creating a more 'open' version of BT's existing 'Cloud' service. And consumers benefit through improved connectivity with seamless movement between wifi and mobile networks. However I'm a little concerned about this type of product and, more generally, the hidden risks created when networks become 'open'.
Whilst there appears to be plenty of smarts working behind-the-scenes to make sure that the gateway between the home connection and that of the outside world is secure, the robustness of that system and its effectiveness are crucial.
"Secure" is a very loose term in IT. In reality providers can really only offer a best-efforts defence against malicious activity. If someone wants to get around the gateway, they will. These days it costs less than a bus fare to hire the network capacity needed to crack a 6 digit WPA-PSK password and if that isn't concerning enough, be aware that the job can be done in less than an hour!
Sure it would take more than you're average PC-user to undertake that sort of exercise, but how many consumers truly appreciate that password protection is anything less than bullet-proof? Survey after survey demonstrate that most consumers don't actually use strong passwords. And the results of public hacks re-enforce this observation. Of the 30 most popular passwords identifed when LinkedIn was hacked, the top 4 were 'link', '1234', 'work' and 'god'. Far too many consumers have a false sense of security when it comes to using network services.
The world of open computing is going to change the IT landscape and has the potential to bring significant economic growth. At the same time it does create significant risks. It is these such risks that internet users (especially the less experienced) need to be made fully aware of before they sign up.
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