A team of computer scientists at Dartmouth College will launch a project in July to study campus wireless computer traffic to determine how to best maintain the security of Wi-Fi networks, the college announced yesterday.
Wi-Fi is becoming more common on campuses. The team, led by computer-science professor David Kotz, hopes that this “real world test” will let them quickly pinpoint malicious activity patterns that would indicate security breaches such as unauthorized access points to the network. The Dartmouth team will also try to determine the best way to eliminate these threats.
“Sometimes faculty and students install their own access points in their offices or rooms for convenience, and these rogue access points can become a hole through the firewall, allowing outsiders easier access to the network,” Mr. Kotz said.
The project, dubbed Dartmouth Internet Security Testbed, started with the installation of wireless monitors in several locations on campus in December.
When the devices are switched on next month, the researchers will post signs informing students and faculty of the project, and they will ensure the privacy of all campus network users is protected by replacing the identity of each wireless device by a random identifier.
This research is being financed by the Department of Homeland Security, and the scientists aim to establish a model for how other institutions could improve the security of their wireless networks.—Maria José Viñas
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