Christian Science Monitor Reports: Timing is Everything for Securing Wireless Communications, by Stephen Chabinsky

If you think that computer intrusions are the main thing we need to worry about when it comes to cybersecurity, think again. There’s growing concern about the implications of our increasingly wireless world and how readily it can be disrupted. When it comes to our reliance on the electromagnetic spectrum for communication, I’m reminded of the lyrics from “The air that I breathe” by the Hollies: “Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe and to love you.”

Today, the air that we breathe also serves as a primary conduit for transmitting voice communications, establishing network connectivity, and enabling remote control over physical objects that run the gamut from military drones over Afghanistan to local traffic light signals.

But the downside to this high tech phenomenon lies in the potential for individuals, terrorist groups, or nations to intentionally deny, degrade, or alter our wireless signals. While it’s taken as a given that our traditional international sparring partners such as Russia have advanced electronic warfare jamming capabilities, individuals can also cause harm by using handheld equipment costing less than $500.

It’s true that “jammers,” the name given to those devices that are designed to deny or degrade wireless signals, are illegal to market, sell, or use in the US. Yet, despite a string of enforcement actions, there remains no shortage of websites offering this equipment for sale, including this one hiding in plain sight at jammer-store.com.  Read complete article here:

http://m.csmonitor.com/World/Passcode/Passcode-Voices/2015/0713/Opinion-Timing-is-everything-for-securing-wireless-communications