Does an 802.11 wireless network create new authentication problems?
Smith: Definitely. It makes sniffing easier than it has ever been. People with laptops and wireless interfaces can “surf” your private network just by parking near your building, intercept passwords and then log on. Developers have tried unsuccessfully to implement security measures that were both light from an engineering standpoint and strong from a security standpoint. To my knowledge, every security scheme that’s been designed expressly for 802.11 so far has been broken. Please briefly explain pros and cons of outsourced PKI vs. in-house? Smith: I like to make an analogy with a retail company that issues its own credit cards. Back when credit cards were really new, there were a few companies that provided regional credit cards. Department stores brought the credit card operations in-house when they realized it gave them better control over who received cards (an issue of managing risk and the cost of fraud), and that revolving credit could itself be a source of income. Now, of cour
