Thanks to Headshot for this interesting news.
Empty cans of Pringles crisps could soon be helping malicious hackers spot wireless networks that are open to attack.
Security company i-sec has built a directional antenna using a Pringles can that significantly improves the chances of finding the wireless computer networks being used in London's financial district.
An informal survey carried out by i-sec using the homemade antenna has found that over two-thirds of networks were doing nothing to protect themselves.
The security company said all the companies at risk could easily thwart anyone that wants to find and penetrate their network by making a few simple changes to the hardware used to build the wireless network.
Wireless, or WiFi, networks have an encryption system built-in, but it is not turned on when the basic hardware of the network is set up.
Geoff Davies, managing director of i-sec, said its informal survey revealed that 67% of the networks it found had this encryption system turned off.
"Many companies are going out and buying a wireless access point to see what it can do," said Mr Davies.
"The problem is that they have opened a great big back door into their network."
He said that i-sec has boosted the chance of spotting networks by converting an empty can of Pringles into a directional, or Yagi, antenna.
Properly made, such an antenna can boost signal strengths by up to 15%, vastly aiding the discovery of wireless networks.
News source: BBC
Picture: Pringles can as an antenna
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