Wi-Fi boom makes life easier for hackers

Wireless networks giving computer users Internet access from anywhere in the home could expose them to eavesdropping and programmers should make their security software easier to use, researchers say.

"Wi-Fi networks leave home computer users open to unprecedented levels of security breaches," New Scientist magazine said on Wednesday.

Most wireless networks come with security features to prevent snoopers reading emails and other documents, but many people do not use them because they are difficult to implement.

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Other users do not change default passwords set by manufacturers which many hackers may know, the magazine said.

Company wireless networks may also not be safe from hackers, it added, citing a 2002 poll that showed about 70 percent of company networks were not encrypted.

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Security experts believe the solution would be to make the software safeguarding networks easier for consumers.

"When convenience and features are in opposition to security, security generally loses. As wireless networks become more common, security will get worse," California-based cryptographer Bruce Schneier told the magazine.