Data Security Issues Arising From Integration of Wireless Access Into Healthcare Networks

The versatility of having Ethernet speed connectivity without wires is rapidly driving adoption of wireless data networking by end users across all types of industry. Designed to be easy to configure and work among diverse platforms, wireless brings online data to mobile users. This functionality is particularly useful in modern clinical medicine. Wireless presents operators of networks containing or transmitting sensitive and con-fidential data with several new types of security vulnerabilities, and potentially opens previously protected core network resources to outside attack. Herein, we review the types of vulnerabilities, the tools necessary to exploit them, and strategies to thwart a successful attack. KEY WORDS: wireless networks; security; medical data; 802.11b; hacker