California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (it still feels a bit strange to say that!) has signed into law a bill that requires wireless home networking equipment manufacturers to alert consumers on how they can take steps to protect their personal information from being hacked by outsiders.

The bill, AB 2415, which goes into effect on October 1, 2007, will require that a warning label must be placed on these devices. In addition, it is expected that the manufacturers will make it known to users that maintaining open wireless networks carry a number of risks and that they must be made aware of the possible consequences.

Folks in California who have set up their own home wireless networks may soon have a little more weaponry in their arsenal to keep piggybackers from hacking into their networks.

The California State Assembly has passed legislation requiring wireless manufacturers to place a warning label on laptops or other equipment such as routers that would provide instructions on how to protect personal files. The label could appear as:

o. A warning sticker placed on the ports of a wireless router.
o. A warning that appears when installing a wireless device.
o. An alert that requires consumers to take action before the device is used.
o. Or other, unspecified protections on the wireless connection.

Of course, it really is up to the individual to do all he or she can to secure their own wireless network, but at the very least a little extra nudge to take these steps is worth something.

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The Spanish company FON, which has worked to set up a worldwide network of shared WiFi connections among home users and small businesses, is announcing a plan to dole out 1 million wireless routers for $5 a pop.

According to the company, these "social routers" which are Cisco Linksys or Buffalo routers will help more people around the world set up their own hotspots using FON software in order to share wireless access with others. As of today, there are 54,000 people known as "foneros" who have signed up, an increase from 3,000 in February.

In exchange for receiving the router, users must agree to share their wireless connections with other FON users for 12 months. The company says the goal is to provide others opportunity for wireless access to the internet in areas where it is limited. In addition, the connection is free, so the price is certainly right.

Of course, those folks who do share their wireless connections with others need to make sure that they secure their own personal information or risk having that data stolen by others.

We've talked here many times about how folks should take every step necessary to protect their own home wireless networks from predators and freeloaders who will steal your personal information outright or use your network to do some unsavory things. Consider the story of two Florida woman whose wireless network was hacked into by someone at a local community college and was using their access to subscribe to porn sites. Pretty embarassing and unnerving, don't you think?

The linked story has a few more tips to help you keep your wireless network secure from intrusion. Obviously, there's no way you can be totally protected 100% of the time, but the point is that if you take just a few steps, the chances of being hacked will diminsh greatly.

We are pleased to bring you the fifth installment of The Wireless Report Podcast. We'll be talking about the upcoming FCC wireless auctions (some of the most important auctions to come along in quite some time), North Dakota being the first state to have more wireless telephone numbers than landline telephone numbers, the deal with E911 and why the major wireless carriers still have not implemented this technology -- and finally, we'll cover the need for wireless connectivity options for stereo and home theater equipment.

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[RSS] Add The Wireless Report Podcast feed to your RSS feedreader and have it delivered automatically
[MP3] Download the podcast directly

Hosts
Brian White and Mike Sciannamea

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59:39 length, 27.3MB size, MP3 format (64kbps)

Here's another story on how easy it is for hackers to steal vital information from any unsecured wireless network. The securing of these networks is becoming a cottage industry, and companies are charging big bucks to assist companies in locking hackers out from enterprise networks.

Of course, the everyday person can't afford to pay those kind of prices to have a consultant come in and secure a home wireless network, so it goes without saying that user education is essential. You've got to take the time to learn how to secure your network, or your most sensitive information will be open for the piggybackers to see and steal.

The morale of the story is that if it can be done in Oshkosh, it can be done anywhere.

It's that time again, so plant yourself in front of your screen and take a look at The Wireless Report's Top 5 stories of the week.

1. Combining RFID and WiFi on a single chip
   This new product seems like the best solution for an ultra low-cost deployment RFID solution we've all been looking for. Combining the asset tagging and tracking capabilities of RFID with the transmission and back-office data capabilities of cheap WiFi transmission, this new SoC (System on a Chip) combines both wireless technologies to produce a way for very inexpensive entry into the RFID tracking world for the business that has snubbed RFID so far due to the higher-than-normal integration costs.
2. EarthLink bidding to manage New Orleans' wireless network?
   As we've said here many times before, EarthLink is the big man on campus when it comes to citywide wireless networks in this country. They've already got Philadelphia and Anaheim in their hip pocket, and a slew of other potential projects could very well go their way in the near future. There could be another significant initiative in their corner very soon.
3. Who's got the best mobile wireless laptop plans?
   Wireless laptops are about to become - if they are not already - the road warrior's *constant* connection to, well, wherever, be it the office or offices, home, clients, etc. No more "downtime" - unless in flight, of course. Verizon's BroadbandAccess and Cingular's Data Connect offer embedded wireless data connectivity on certain Dell, Lenovo and HP laptops - and this feature will become standard soon (my guess) alongside WiFi on many business laptops.
4. Citywide wireless momentum strong, but critics still lurking about
   Every day we're seeing more communities, both big and small, taking the plunge and moving forward with a citywide wireless intitiative. We've all read the many pieces about Philadelphia, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee (among others), but let's not forget towns such as Harlingen, Texas, Milpitas, California, and Lowell, Massachusetts. The fact reamins that the citywide wireless momentum is gaining, and it seems that no amount of lobbying and politicking by the big telcos and cable companies will do enough to stop it.
5. Now being advertised on your cellphone...
   Will mobile marketing ever garner 25% to 30% of the $100 billion spent on branding in the U.S.? Verizon seems to think so. In the BusinessWeek story, the focus is on mobile advertising - mainly happening now using text messaging. I've you've ever voted for your choice as American Idol using SMS, you'ce participated in mobile marketing.

It's Saturday, and that means it's time to present you our Top 5 stories of the week in the world of wireless. Enjoy!

1. Telcos lobbying to shut down New Orleans' downtown wireless network
   As we all know, it's been a rough go for New Orleans over the last seven months. It's going to take a lot of time and effort to bring the city back to something close to what it was, and it's going to take the cooperation of many people to do it. However, BellSouth and other telcos in the region only want to be part of the problem, not the solution.
2. Do 3G phones change social habits?
   In this story from the BBC, newer 3G wireless services and handsets are said to change social habits. Clubbers and bloggers can benefit from the cameras, video cameras and higher-speed data networks. Well, duh. Clubbers are obvious targets - I see more cameraphones in clubs than real cameras at the Grand Canyon. Bloggers? Well, those who have taken up moblogging as a sort of life documentation science are guilty as charged also. I regularly send photos while mobile to my Flickr site using a simple and secret email address.
3. Wireless "piggybacker" compares behavior to borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbor
   Just came across this op-ed piece from someone who compares the practice of "piggybacking" wireless services from others to borrowing a cup of sugar. Oh really?
4. Newbury Networks announces wireless asset tracking and location-enabled "presence" platform
   One area we see quite often here at The Wireless Report are bungled implementations of good and great wireless solutions. A great idea can be toasted if not implemented in the most customized way for the customer using it. This entails studying the workflow of the customer, tailoring the solution/software to their needs, testing the solution and tweaking as needed, and also planning for changes and other paths so that the solution is flexible and adaptable.
5. Mobile casino gambling now legal in Nevada
   This was pretty much a foregone conclusion anyway, but it's still a significant piece of news. Yesterday the Nevada Gaming Commission passed a regulation that allows for the use of handheld devices (similar to PDAs) for gambling in any public area of casinos located in the state. Simply put, you can play blackjack, poker, and other assorted games while lounging at the pool or another place in the complex where you can be supervised. At this point, you can't use these devices in your hotel room or any other place where you can be left alone.

Just came across this op-ed piece from someone who compares the practice of "piggybacking" wireless services from others to borrowing a cup of sugar. Oh really?

This guy thinks it's acceptable, for example, for someone who moves into a new apartment building and logging onto an open wireless network so he can do whatever he wants with someone else knowing about it. Maybe this "borrower" would feel it's perfectly fine to go through the owner's personal files because it's "open" for everyone else to see. Why not? He's only "borrowing" the signal, so it's too bad for the owner if the borrower sees something sensitive by chance.

Of course, anyone who has their own wireless network should take every step necessary to secure it. There's enough information out there for network owners to leverage, so if their network is compromised, it is their own fault. However, for someone to be so flippant about piggybacking to say "what's the problem?" is reprehensible. And for this guy to attempt to point out "perfectly legitimate reasons to borrow access" is laughable.