New "paint" provides wireless network protection without encryption
By George Gardner
Forget WEP and WPA; I’m switching over to the EM-SEC Coating System, a recently revealed paint developed by EM-SEC Technologies that acts as an electromagnetic fortress, allowing a wireless network to be contained within painted walls without fear of someone tapping in or hacking wireless networks.
The EM-SEC Coating System is clearly the most secure option aside from stringing out the CAT5, and can be safely used to protect wireless networks in business and government facilities.
“The use of EM-SEC Coating as an electromagnetic barrier for the containment of wireless networks has opened a new realm of possibilities for our company and for the future of wireless communications” said Robert Boyd, Vice President and Director of Technology for EM-SEC Technologies, LLC. “As hackers, identity thieves and even terrorists become more sophisticated in the methods they use to obtain information or inflict damage, this experiment confirmed EM-SEC Coating reduces the threat from electronic eavesdropping and blocks out electromagnetic interference for the protection of electronic data.”
The EM-SEC Coating System uses a series of water-based shielding products that restrict the passage of airborne RF signals, and was initially developed to aid the U.S. Government and Military is shielding operation centers; the Military always gets the good stuff first.
Recent tests on the product revealed that this special wireless blocking paint can now be successfully used by corporate and private companies.
“We have developed an innovative shielding system that cannot only be utilized by corporate offices, boardrooms, server and computer rooms and research and development laboratories to protect their digital assets from electronic eavesdropping, but it will also ensure the safe operation of wireless networks”, said Wayne LeGrande, President and Chief Technical Officer, EM-SEC Technologies, LLC.
We’ve seen first hand that many wireless encryption methods simply do not work, and can be hacked using a couple hundred dollars worth of equipment and free downloadable software. This EM-SEC Coating solution provides strong network security combined with the freedoms that come with a wireless network, something that would have previously been thought to be impossible.
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March 24th, 2007
even assuming the product works exactly as described - it won’t, doors and windows would leave holes in the shielding - any sensible person would still leave encryption on. a one layer defense can not be labeled anything but stupid.
March 25th, 2007
Great another fad for idiotic CTO’s and other morons to latch onto thinking they have found a way to increase security and only use a single security measure. It is foolish for anyone to relie solely upon a single layer of security if they actuly plan to keep their data and their network safe. However if this is the same type of paint I saw a couple years ago it does work fairly well so should be suitable as an additional layer of security if you have double pane windows with wire mesh.
March 25th, 2007
Who said companies need windows? No windows = No security hole
Most of the time people are stuck in a cube without windows anyway.
March 25th, 2007
whats the solution for company with glass in place of wall to give better feel to the users?? and there is also no way that any company would want to rely on a paint rather than following high encryption and encryption definitely helps in any circumstances. But one things for sure - this is unique radical thinking of a company and I appreciate it!!
March 25th, 2007
What about cell phones. If this provides EM shielding then wouldn’t it block cell phones?
March 25th, 2007
This could be useful in the other direction, for keeping signals out. I live in a large apartment building, and I’m starting to get degraded wireless performance. I think it’s just because of the sheer number of people with home wireless networks–you can see as many as 30 on a normal day.
It’s probably more money than it’s worth to me, but would painting my apartment in this stuff cut down interference from everybody’s equipment?
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The spectrum belongs to the people! Bandwidth limits are old physics, and this is the age of new physics! What were they smoking back in the 90’s? Oh, right, great big wads of free money…..
March 25th, 2007
FYI: For those of you concerned about windows, there are several manufacturers of EM-proof film that can prevent radio signals from getting in or out of your windows. There are also other similar products for doors, ceiling tiles, etc. This paint is a good idea and I’d love to try it!
March 25th, 2007
If a company really wanted security they’d use wired access rather than wireless, sure you have to buy a bunch of ethernet cables and have plugs available at desks (Oh no.. plugs at a desk!?) but atleast you wouldn’t need to paint everything with a special paint (that I’d guess costs quite a bit more than a gallon of DutchBoy).
Either way this is a fancy Faraday cage, it won’t block signals from leaving any building, however it’ll prevent signals from coming in, so no one can “talk” to your wireless network only listen what leeches out, which could be significant.
March 25th, 2007
Old News….. Really old news. It might be a new product for the company that developed it, but WiFi restrictive paints have been around for years. Th only truw way to secure your network Wirelessly is to use a Faraday cage, plate armoring, or hard-wiring.
I noticed the “Technology With Attitude” graphic at the top-right of the page. Nobody cares about attitude; we just want accuracy.
March 25th, 2007
I think Matt got it right with his comment:
“No windows = No security hole”
Ditch Windows and roll out Linux or OS X :)
I know, we’re talkin’ about wireless security blah blah, not desktop, just seemed like you guy’s missed a good opportunity to have a laugh re MS Windows.
Paint for Security, good one…
March 25th, 2007
Even a wired network can not be assumed safe.
I truely doubt also so call quantum security ’s claim that it can not be hacked also
March 25th, 2007
i got several buckets in my trunk right now… NOBODY IS STEALING MY WIFI
March 25th, 2007
A stucco house will do the same thing.
March 26th, 2007
I like the “No windows = No security hole”. OBVIOUSLY, DUH! :D
March 26th, 2007
This is probably a very good solution since unless the router is right next to the windows, the paint will degrade the signal to a level in which it simply won’t be possible to bug an office without actually installing a signal booster / another router - its like some places can only use satellite dishes since the radio antenna is blocked by a hill…
In todays world with radio signals, cellular phones and whatnots going through the air, it simply unnecessary to worry about “only windows” since the signal is already degraded by all the noise in the air…
March 26th, 2007
How many people are willing to paint their floors ? Of course, they can remove their parquets, ceramic tiles, wall-to-wall carpets, clean and paint the floor, and then refloor them. When Mobile Broadband and WiMax become more ubiquitous, they might be the only one wired….
March 26th, 2007
Wow, imagine the security you’d get if you painted your wifi router with this!
March 26th, 2007
I’d look for a wireless product from these guys: http://www.fortresstech.com seems to save the hassle of painting. Or do both… Painting and buying a device that offers good wireless security.
March 26th, 2007
You’re right, windows/doors will provide some access to the wireless network, the key here is it’s going to extremely limit how much of that signal strength is getting out. Of course you should still be running some sort of security, but doubling up security with a physical blockade that can’t be beaten by the mentioned pieces of software.
March 30th, 2007
Bang goes surfing from the garden then!