Item: Security risks encircle Wi-Fi: Not seeing what you're getting into leaves you vulnerable/Dan Fost, San Francisco Chronicle

"With wireless networks, your data is being transmitted over the open air. Anyone can grab those data packets. And they can jump on your home wireless network to do bad things to you, and to other people. It's as if they came in your front door and plugged into your network. They can look for vulnerabilities, out-of-date security software, unpatched operating system holes," and they can set up your computer as a 'bot' or 'zombie' that they can use for other attacks. Wireless gives them a semblance of anonymity. They can launch spam on other people, launch virus attacks on other people, steal pirated material, and the homeowner is the one who is going to get the knock on the door from the FBI."

Stu Elefant, senior product manager at McAfee Inc., the security software firm in Santa Clara, Calif.

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