Wi-Fi Blocking Paint

Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:39PM EDT

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My wireless network is very protected, thanks to my husband who takes plenty of preventive measures that keep intruders out of our network. The Gadget Hound also taught us a thing or two about the subject in this post, in which a reader's concern prompted him to ask more about Wi-Fi scamming. If you haven't changed the default name and password on your network, you're contributing to your network's susceptibility to malicious attacks, so don't be surprised when intruders—either neighbors or strangers parked outside your home—bog down your network with spam, or illegal downloads. Like Tom said, the best way to keep those intruders out is by enabling WEP or WPA encryption on your network by changing the password on your router. Chris has a step-by-step guide on how to do this too.

SEC Technologies has another option: wireless blocking paint. One coat of this paint "creates an electromagnetic fortress by preventing airborne hackers from intercepting signals." Sounds a little too much like something the government would be interested in, and less like a technology that would benefit the average Wi-Fi user who has already ditched the landline over a cell phone. The Register thinks the RF-proof paint would be put to good use in movie theaters, or similar places where cell phones interruption is frowned upon. EM-SEC currently sells laptop inserts and phone holsters with an electromagnetic shield that restricts the detection of Wi-Fi signals, which is another option that might deter laptop thieves. What a great idea.

 

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  • 1 Posted by alpyne2 on Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    Interesting idea - I wonder if I can paint the front & sides of my house & still access our LAN from the back yard ... and if that would protect it at all. I also wonder if painting the outside of the house is enough, or if I need to paint the ceilings as well ... Maybe the MAC restriction & encryption are enough after all.

  • 2 Posted by jchapkovich@snet.net on Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    Interesting, but I wonder if the signal will still travel through window glass. Maybe that is why they thought it would work in a movie theater

  • 3 Posted by hemm751 on Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    RF shielding has been used in theaters for the past several years. The walls and ceiling have metal screen material that shields the structure from ALL radio signals entering and departing. If you use such shielding at home, you will also cut off all cellphone useage when your cellphone is used inside your home. Also your cordless phone will not operate outside the sturcture. And if you use an AM or FM radio or TV without an outdoor antenna, it will also shield all signals from reaching them. Heavy shielding such as this has been used for many years to cut down on hacking into secret government facilities.

  • 5 Posted by archvillan.rm on Mon Apr 2, 2007 12:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    In the U.S. anything "blocking" radio waves would be illegal. As for the movie theatre's having metal screen material I believe that too to be bogus partially based on the fact that it's illegal in the States and I just got interrupted at the theatre again this weekend by some boob with a cel.

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