The wireless laptop initiative provides students with priceless technical skills, but it also poses a variety of online security issues, San Jose State University Computing Vice President Bruce Judd said.

While SJSU students may be leisurely floating around in cyberspace, Judd said, wireless is not always the safest online path.

"Probably the biggest problem with any wireless network is the fact that once that radio signal goes through the air," Judd said. "anybody who has a receiver that's set to that right frequency can pick up that radio signal."

When SJSU installed its first wireless security hardware and software two years ago, the applications were experimental. University students in different colleges on campus could access the Internet with internal wireless modems or wireless cards.

Judd said the wireless network cards students are using are adequate from his perspective, but are not safe from certain hacker tools.

" 'Airsnort' can basically pick up a wireless signal and essentially interrupt it and translate it," Judd said. "So when you login, someone can pick up your user identification and password and use it when you logout."

There are many security issues with wireless communications that don't appear in wired connections, said SJSU Network Services Director Bob Neal. SJSU students need to be aware they should never use any private information with their laptops when hooked into the network, Neal said.

Credit card numbers and other private information is at the top of the list, Judd said. SJSU students can get a Unix account, but most don't read the security page or understand the network's limitations.

"I had no idea that when you use your laptop everything is free in the air for wireless," graduate student Danielle Poirier said.

Poirier said she had already revealed private information on the network. "I've used my credit card, check card and an electronic check," sophomore Victor Tran said.

"I don't think I'll be doing that anymore."

Neal said a wired scheme is protected simply because of the medium being used. Students can log on to the wireless network with an encrypted user identification and password.

SJSU is using Blue Socket for a secure logon. "The appliance Blue Socket serves our needs," Judd said.

"It encrypts the logon and we can set it up so it does complete encryption on both sides.

Authenticating the logon is as far as the university has gone, Neal said. SJSU students can log in to the network by signing up online for a free Unix account.

This is the destination where students can obtain the network user identification and password. Each time someone logs in, a page comes up stating the rules and terms of using the network.

The terms warn users about the network itself and what is prohibited. Rules vary from warning users about file sharing, spying on network traffic, keeping passwords secure and the openness of wireless communication.

Punishments are clearly stated on the last line of the page, including loss of wireless network connectivity and possible administrative or legal action.

University Network Analyst Nick Cappelloni said getting the network out to as many people as possible was the main concern.

The university will not control laptop uses like a business would, said Cappelloni. Judd said the school won't be the mind police for the users.

"Unless there is something in particular, we really don't look at web traffic unless there is some situation that requires it," Judd said. The traffic we check for mostly is volume of traffic."

He said wireless users need to understand the university had to strike a balance in the network.

"There has to be a balance between the intellectual and academic freedom, and then the physical and electronic security that is required to keep things running," Judd said.

Although wireless users are not completely secure once logged in, Judd said there are a ton of security solutions out there.

"One of the advantages of living in the Silicon Valley is you have some tremendous resources available to you," Judd said.

Many companies in the wireless business are testing out new products and then tracking the data, Judd said. SJSU has a close partnership with Blue Socket and others that are within close proximity of the school. Judd said this allows the university to use the products at very low or no cost.

"As a campus that gives us the option of being able to get very high end security products," Judd said.

The university uses a variety of security devices including firewalls, intrusion detection devices, scanners, and anti-virus and anti-spam programs.

Firewalls contain intrusion detection devices that track users who are not supposed to be on the network. The scanners act as a tap and can monitor an unwanted individual moving around on the network. The anti-virus and anti-spam devices used are mostly obtained freely through companies like Microsoft and McAfee, Judd said.

Neal said one problem about new products is that most hackers know about them so it's in their best interest not to release the name of the device. Giving outsiders or students any ideas about paths into the network is the last thing he wants to do, Cappelloni said.

"We dont want to talk much about that or let information out because we don't want to give any students ideas about what they can do on the network," Cappelloni said.

Neal said this was also a major concern of the university's network.

"There is a continuing set of challenges for us when it comes to security," Neal said. "We try to play our cards close to our chest because we have tricks and tools and abilities that you don't want to make known."