Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Usability pitfalls in Wireless LAN security

2006; Elsevier BV; Volume: 2006; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s1353-4858(06)70343-9

1872-9371

Steven Furnell, Bogdan Ghita,

Wireless Networks and Protocols

This time, the users can't be blamed. Wi-Fi use has rocketed and it's no secret that Wireless LAN security is leaving mobile networks exposed. But the way it's presented to users, security technology often leaves them no option other than to side-step it. Recent years have seen no shortage of studies and articles highlighting the potential insecurity of Wireless LANs (WLANs). This article – drawing on a recent study – exposes a lack of guidance on the part of WLAN security products, as well as a confusing presentation of options at the user interface level. Users don't want to fiddle with difficult security procedures while accessing e-mail. Clearer presentation of the security options at the software level is called for, as are approaches such as step-by-step security configuration wizards which could make a valuable contribution. If the usability remains as it is, then it is likely that we will continue to witness large scale deployment of unprotected wireless networks. Recent years have seen no shortage of studies and articles highlighting the potential insecurity of Wireless LANs (WLANs). Problems have been reported with the security technologies themselves; and so has the apparent unwillingness of people to use them. This paper considers how the latter aspect may be significantly influenced by the usability of the technologies involved, which currently be seen to represent a potential obstacle.