The Security Trends report, published by the University of Purdue's Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (Cerias), identifies improved productivity and cost reduction as the main drives for adoption of wireless networks.
The authors of the report warn, however, that wireless networks do not depend on 'physical' protections and it is therefore more difficult to prevent crime and ensure the privacy of data transmitted on such networks.
According to the report, the fact that wireless technologies create more interconnections means increased security risks, as security vulnerabilities in one network mean that all others connected to it are also at risk.
The report does, however, recommend a number of best practices to be adopted when deploying wireless security.
At the same time as the report, security company Defcom conducted a survey of 20 senior IT security managers of high street banks and financial institutions in London earlier this month and also found that wireless usage is increasing.
Of the managers surveyed, 50% said that they were looking to deploy a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) within the next 12 months. The majority of the sample appeared to be optimistic about the security of WLAN equipment, with 90% believing that it will be as secure as existing local area networks within the next three to five years.
Despite this, 60% of the managers questioned admitted that the main barrier to WLAN growth is still the perceived lack of security and 80% said they did not trust the manufacturers of WLAN solutions to provide security expertise.
The Cerias Security Trends report can be found at:
www.cerias.purdue.edu/news_and_events/
events/securitytrends/2002_full_security_report.pdf