Tag Archive for Wireless

RB | August 28, 2009
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WPA Gone in 60 Seconds

securityJapanese researchers have identified a WPA hack which could give hackers a way to read encrypted Wi-Fi traffic  in less than 1 minute. Toshihiro Ohigashi (Hiroshima University) and Masakatu Morii (Kobe University) presented a way to break the WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption system at the Joint Workshop on Information Security.  The researchers outlined their work in paper called “A Practical Message Falsi cation Attack on WPA“  on August 7, 2009.

wifiThe new attack builds on 2008 research from Darmstadt University of Technology graduate sstudents Martin Beck and Erik Tews who proved that WPA Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) could be attacked. The Beck-Tews attack only worked on short packets in a WPA implementations that supported 802.11 quality of service (QOS) features and took between 12 and 15 minutes to work.

The new threat utilizes a “man in the middle” (MITM) attacks on WPA TKIP systems. The MITM attack  uses the the “chopchop” attack on a short packet (like ARP broadcasts), deciphers its 64-bit Message Integrity Code (MIC), and can then craft whatever packet it wants. The new packet is coded with the proper checksums and passed along to the access point, which should accept it as genuine. Dragos Ruiu, organizer of the PacSec security conference where the first WPA hack was demonstrated told IDGNews, “They took this stuff which was fairly theoretical and they’ve made it much more practical.”

Both attacks work only on WPA systems that use the  TKIP  algorithm.   The new attack does not work on newer WPA2 devices or on WPA systems that use the stronger Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm. Kelly Davis-Felner, marketing director with the Wi-Fi Alliance, said that people should now use WPA2. She told IDGNews,  WPA with TKIP “was developed as kind of an interim encryption method as Wi-Fi security was evolving several years ago.”

Enterprise Wi-Fi networks typically include security software that would detect the type of man-in-the-middle attack described by the Japanese researchers, Robert Graham, CEO of Errata Security t0ld ars technica. He continues, the development of the first really practical attack against WPA should give people a reason to dump WPA with TKIP, he said. “It’s not as bad as WEP, but it’s also certainly bad.”

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This is only an issue of the WLAN is secured at all.  Motorola published a report in April 2009  that says 64% of companies are neglecting WLAN security. The report claims that only 47% of companies are using Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption on their wireless networks.

These attacks highlight the weaknesses of TKIP-based WLAN encryption. WPA TKIP was developed to fix the worst of the security holes in the first Wi-Fi encryption protocol, WEP. Wi-Fi-certified products have had to support WPA2 since March 2006 . Users should move to AES-CCMP which requires WPA2 Personal for home and small office networks or WPA2 Enterprise for larger networks. Using AES-CCMP may requires that some network equipment installed before 2003 be reviewed as AES supports key lengths up to 256 bits, which may not be compatible with older hardware. Any remaining equipment of this vintage may need to be  be upgraded to newer Wi-Fi adapters, switched to Ethernet only, or retired. WPA2 has not shown any vulnerabilities to date. There is no real good reason to try to secure your WLAN with WPA-TKIP anymore.

Category: Security, wi-fi | Tags: , , ,
RB | August 14, 2009
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Nokia Tries Wireless Electricity

electricityThanks to the researchers at Nokia, some day, putting your cell phone in standby mode may no longer cause the dreaded vampire power. Vampire power is frequently described as pointlessly wasting electricity with little benefit other than a small red light and instant start-up. According to an article in the UK’s Guardian, Nokia is developing a mobile phone charging system which is able to power itself on nothing more than ambient radiowaves that constantly surround us. The Guardian article points out that old crystal radio sets and modern radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are powered purely by radiowaves. Nokia claims that it’s system is able to scavenge enough ambient electromagnetic radiation emitted from Wi-Fi transmitters, cell-phone antennas, TV towers, and other sources miles away to operate a cell phone. Individually the energy available in each of these signals is minute,  but by harvesting radiowaves across a wide range of frequencies it all adds up, said Markku Rouvala, one of the researchers who developed the device at the Nokia Research Center in Cambridge, UK..

Nnokia_logookia’s device uses a wide-band antenna and two very simple passive circuits. The antenna and the receiver circuit are designed to pick up  frequencies from 500 megahertz to 10 gigahertz and convert the electromagnetic waves into an electrical current. The second circuit is designed to feed this current to the battery to recharge it.

“Even if you are only getting microwatts, you can still harvest energy, provided your circuit is not using more power than it’s receiving,” Rouvala told Technology Review. So far the researchers been able to harvest up to 5 milliwatts (mW). Their next goal is to get in excess of 20 mW, enough power to keep a phone in standby mode indefinitely. but not enough to actually use the phone to make or receive a call the researcher  says.  Rouvala says that his group is working towards a prototype that could harvest up to 50 mW of power, enough to slowly recharge a phone that is switched off.

Earlier this year, Joshua Smith at Intel and Alanson Sample at the University of Washington, in Seattle, developed a temperature-and-humidity sensor that draws its power from the signal emitted by a 1.0-megawatt TV antenna 4.1 kilometers away. This only involved generating 60 microwatts.  Smith says that 50 mW could require around 1,000 strong signals and that an antenna capable of picking up such a wide range of frequencies would cause efficiency losses along the way.

Harry Ostaffe, head of marketing for Pittsburgh-based company Powercast, which sells a system for recharging sensors from about 15 meters away with a dedicated radio signal told Technology Review, “To get 50 milliwatts seems like a lot.”

If Nokia’s claims stand up, then it could push energy harvesting into mainstream consumer devices and improve their environmental footprint. Steve Beeby, an engineer and physicist at the University of Southampton, U.K., who has researched harvesting vibrational energy, adds, “If they can get 50 milliwatts out of ambient RF, that would put me out of business.” He says that the potential could be huge because MP3 players typically use only about 100 milliwatts of power and spend most of their time in lower-power mode.

According to Technology Review. Nokia is being cagey with the details of the project, but Rouvala is confident about its future: “I would say it is possible to put this into a product within three to four years.” Ultimately, though, he says that Nokia plans to use the technology in conjunction with other energy-harvesting approaches, such as solar cells embedded into the outer casing of the handset.

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As I have chronicled in the past and here,  wireless power is a good solution looking for a way to be implemented. Wireless power has now hit the Gartner “Hype-Cycle.” According to the July 2009 Gartner Hype-Cycle, Wireless Power has just entered the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” zone and is still 5-10 years from mainstream adoption.  This technology  hold many benefits to the environment (less wasted electricty) and user convenience (how many propeirtrary power adapters do you have?), it is yet to be seen if consumer demand can over-come the inertia of the status-quo and the power of big money lobbying by the coal, nuclear and utilities. Right now my money is on the money.

Category: Electricity, Green, Wireless | Tags: , , ,
RB | May 4, 2009
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Cars Collaborate to Reduce Risks

According to InScience scientists and engineers from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) tested an innovative technological system in the Detroit area during April 2009 that ultimately will help protect drivers from being surprised by black ice, fog, and other hazardous weather conditions

The prototype system is designed to gather detailed information about weather and road conditions from moving vehicles. NCAR’s road weather system is part of IntelliDrive,  a national initiative overseen by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to use new technologies to make driving safer and improve mobility.

The project included collecting information from 11 specially equipped cars in the Detroit area. Test drivers in Jeep Cherokee’s, Ford (F) Edge’s, and a Nissan Altima were on the prowl for adverse conditions, especially heavy rain and snow to collect, store and transmit data. The test vehicles used sensors to collect data about weather conditions such as temperature, pressure, and humidity. An on board digital memory device recorded that information, along with indirect signs of road conditions, such as windshield wipers being switched on or activation of the anti lock braking system. The information was transmitted to a central database, where it was integrated with other local weather data and traffic observations, as well as details about road material and alignment. The processed data will then be used to update motorists in the area when hazards are present and, when appropriate, suggest alternate routes. Engineers analyzed the reliability of the system by comparing data from the cars with other observations from radars and weather satellites.

Sheldon Drobot, the NCAR program manager in charge of the project told Inscience,  “The system will tell drivers what they can expect to run into in the next few seconds and minutes, giving them a critical chance to slow down or take other action.”

In addition to providing motorist warnings, such a system will alert emergency managers to hazardous driving conditions and enable state highway departments to efficiently keep roads clear of snow. It can also help meteorologists refine their forecasts by providing them with continual updates about local weather conditions.

The tests helped the NCAR team refine its software to accurately process data from motor vehicles. “The results look very encouraging,” Drobot says. “The tests show that cars can indeed communicate critical information about weather conditions and road hazards.”

One of the biggest challenges for NCAR is how to process the enormous amounts of data that could be generated by about 300 million motor vehicles. “It’s not enough to process the information almost instantaneously,” says William Mahoney, who oversees the system’s development for NCAR. “It needs to be cleaned up, sent through a quality control process, blended with traditional weather data, and eventually delivered back to drivers who are counting on the system to accurately guide them through potentially dangerous conditions.”

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Category: Cars, Michigan, Networking, Wireless | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
RB | April 25, 2009
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Wi-Fi Settlement to Cost Billions

CSIRO logo

Australia’s national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization  (CSIRO) confirmed (4-22-09) that the patent cases being heard in the Eastern District Court of Texas over CSIRO’s claim to inventing the technology behind Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) has concluded “successfully.” CSIRO claims to have patented core elements of the technology used in 802.11a and 802.11g wireless devices.

“CSIRO has negotiated settlement with each of the 14 companies involved in four concurrent litigation cases,” the agency said in a statement. “The commercial terms of the settlements with these companies will remain confidential.”

The CSIRO first applied for the US patent in 1993 and was awarded US patent number 5,487,069,  entitled “Wireless LAN”, on 23 January 1996, and is for a “peer-to-peer wireless LAN” that can operate in the kind of multi-path environment created by radio echoes in typical office buildings. The patent describes three ways to get high speed transmission despite the hostile conditions in an office environment by transmitting over a relatively large number of parallel sub-channels within the available bandwidth so that each channel has a low bit rate; transmitting data in small packets with forward error correction (FEC); and using interleaving. These concepts are all featured in descriptions of the 802.11 physical layer. claims to have patented core elements of the technology used in 802.11a, 802.11g and 802.11n wireless devices.

CSIRO has previously said that its patent allowed speed increases up to a factor of five over previous WLANs by a factor of five, and that it had “offered licences on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms to major suppliers as soon as they started selling devices which used the CSIRO technology.”

However, troubles began following Cisco Systems’ acquisition of Radiata from Macquarie University, which it had carried out for the purpose of commercializing CSIRO’s technology, which forms a key component of commonly used Wi-Fi products

The CSIRO filed patent infringement suits against 3Com, Accton, Asus, Belkin, D-Link, Fujitsu, Marvell (manufacturers of Apple‘s iPod), Nintendo, SMC and Toshiba. Several large technology vendors bit back – with  Apple, Dell, HP, Intel, Microsoft and Netgear bringing cases against CSIRO in an attempt to have the patent invalidated.

In June 2007, the CSIRO won a case in the US Federal Court against Japanese manufacturer Buffalo Technologies, the basis of which the firm has used to demand royalties from a broader set of manufacturers that market Wi-Fi equipment.

As the case has played out in the last few weeks in and out of the Texas court, CSIRO struck individual deals with its adversary’s including; Dell, Fujitisu, HP, Intel, and Microsoft

HP Logo

HP was the first to settle on 04-02-09. CSIRO spokesperson Huw Morga  said “CSIRO can confirm that a settlement has been reached with Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) in relation to the wireless patent case,” Morgan continued  in the Sydney Morning Herald, “There will be no further comment at this time due to confidentiality and on-going litigation.”

Fujitsu Logo

Fujitsu Computer Systems Corp. was dismissed by the Court with prejudice the claims and counterclaims between CSIRO and Fujitsu in the first  court-approved settlement to emerge in the case on April 8 with terms  of the settlement to remain  confidential.

Microsoft Logo

PC manufacturer Asus and Microsoft separately settled their lawsuits with the CSIRO on 04-14-09 terms of the settlement were not disclosed. CSIRO had accused Microsoft of wrongfully using its patent, while Microsoft was seeking a ruling of non-infringement for its networking wireless technology that includes an adapter for the Xbox video-game system.

Intel and Dell, also settled on 04-19-09 for undisclosed and confidential terms.

Accton Technology Corp., SMC Networks, Belkin Corp. and Belkin International, Inc., D-Link Systems, Inc., Netgear, Inc., Nintendo of America, Inc., Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., and 3Com Corp., announced on 4-20-09 that they had reached a settlement with CSIRO.

Cisco and its Linksys division aren’t on CSIRO’s  list because Cisco agreed to patent terms when it acquired an Australian network authentication firm a few years ago. Apple dropped out in December 2006.

Dr. Alex Zelinsky, director of the CSIRO ICT Center confirmed that all of CSIRO opponents had chosen to settle the wireless case rather than go ahead with another trial.  CSIRO deputy chief of operations Mike Whelan said that the terms of the settlement would remain strictly confidential. Dr Zelinsky speculated to ITNews , however, that the pay off could be worth upwards from $100 million up to a billion dollars and keep royalty payment flowing into the agency for up to a decade.

Timeline

  • November 1993: CSIRO lodges US patent for the invention of a wireless LAN.
  • January 1996: US patent 5,487,069 is issued to CSIRO.
  • 1997: CSIRO and Macquarie University form Radiata, a company established for the purposes of commercializing the patent.
  • 2001: Cisco Systems acquires Radiata for US$295 million.
  • 2003: CSIRO engages in patent licensing discussions with several manufacturers, none of which agree to pay licensing fees.
  • February 2005: CSIRO lodges a suit against Buffalo Technology for alleged patent violation in the Eastern District of Texas Court as a test case for its patent.
  • May 2005: Two groups of industry heavyweights — including Dell and Intel, and Microsoft, HP and Netgear, lodge lawsuits against CSIRO seeking to overturn its patent.
  • November 2006: CSIRO has its patent upheld by the Eastern District of Texas Court in its case against Buffalo Technology.
  • September 2006: CSIRO counter-sues the industry parties attempting to overturn its patent, claiming these companies infringe on its patents.
  • September 2007: CSIRO refuses to offer any amnesty to IEEE members that infringe on its patent.
  • April 02, 2009 HP settles suit.
  • April 13, 2009 Microsoft settles suit
  • April 20, 2009 all other firms settle suit.

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If your installation includes Aruba, Meru or Trapeze, you can hope that CISRO goes back to developing  Wearable Instrument Shirts or Airhockey Over a Distance, rather than squeezing more revenue for the tax payers of Australia out of this initial victory by going after all of the other Wi-Fi vendors.  If upheld, CSIRO will collect what it has frequently described as a small royalty on all devices containing Wi-Fi.

The cases are:

  • Intel Corp. v. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, 06cv551
  • Microsoft Corp. v. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, 06cv549, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas (Tyler)
Category: Legal, Networking, wi-fi, Wireless | Tags: , ,
RB | January 29, 2009
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Multi-Gigabit Wireless by 2012

A January 26, 2009 ScienceDaily article describes a new CMOS chip capable of transmitting 60 GHz digital RF signals for rapid transfer of a high-definition movie from a PC to a cell phone developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology‘s Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC).    Among the many potential 60 GHz applications are virtually wireless desktop-computer setups and data centers, wireless home DVD systems, in-store kiosks that transfer movies to handheld devices in seconds and the potential to move gigabytes of photos or video from a camera to a PC almost instantly.

Experts believe that this technology could yield high-speed, short-range wireless applications by 2012.  According to Joy Laskar, director of the GEDC, “Consumers could see products capable of ultra-fast short-range data transfer within two or three years.” Ann Revell-Pechar, chair of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Atlanta Chapter says “Multi-gigabit wireless technology is widely perceived as a means to bring important new wireless applications to both consumer and IT markets.” Darko Kirovski, senior researcher at Microsoft Research says “Multi-gigabit technology definitely has major promise for new consumer and IT applications.”

Researchers have already achieved very high data transfer rates that promise unprecedented short-range wireless speeds-15 Gbps at a distance of 1 meter, 10 Gbps at 2 meters and 5 Gbps at 5 meters.

The GEDC-developed chip is the first 60GHz embedded chip for multimedia multi-gigabit wireless use. According to Laskar, this new technology “represents the highest level of integration for 60GHz wireless single-chip solutions. It offers the lowest energy per bit transmitted wirelessly at multi-gigabit data rates reported to date.”

Industry group Ecma International recently announced a worldwide standard for the radio frequency (RF) technology that makes 60 GHz “multi-gigabit” data transfer possible. The specifications for this technology are expected to be published as an ISO standard in 2009.

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