Security Issues in Wireless Systems

Abstract: ireless Communication is one of the fields of Telecommunications which is growing with the tremendous speed. With the passage of time wireless communication devices are becoming more and more common. It is not only the technology of business but now people are using it to perform their daily tasks, be it for calling, shopping, checking their emails or transfer their money. Wireless communication devices include cellular phones, cordless phones and satellite phones, smart phones like Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), two way pagers, and lots of their devices are on their way to improve this wireless world. In order to establish two way communications, a wireless link may be using radio waves or Infrared light. The Wireless communication technologies have become increasingly popular in our everyday life. The hand held devices like Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) allow the users to access calendars, mails, addresses, phone number lists and the internet. Personal digital assistants (PDA) and smart phones can store large amounts of data and connect to a broad spectrum of networks, making them as important and sensitive computing platforms as laptop PCs when it comes to an organization’s security plan. Today’s mobile devices offer many benefits to enterprises. Mobile phones, hand held computers and other wireless systems are becoming a tempting target for virus writers. Mobile devices are the new frontier for viruses, spam and other potential security threats. Most viruses, Trojans and worms have already been created that exploit vulnerabilities. With an increasing amount of information being sent through wireless channels, new threats are opening up. Viruses have been growing fast as handsets increasingly resemble small computers that connect with each other and the internet. Hackers have also discovered that many corporate wireless local area networks (WLAN) in major cities were not properly secured. Mobile phone operators say that it is only a matter of time before the wireless world is hit by the same sorts of viruses and worms that attack computer software.