By this time next month, it will be more than smart for businesses to set up security precautions to protect their wireless networks. It will also be the law.

            To make it easy to comply, Westchester County is inviting business owners to a free Oct. 4 breakfast seminar on “Wireless Security: What Every Business Must Know.” The program, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the County Center in White Plains, will feature software expert Robert Gezelter who will show how one can inexpensively and simply follow the law.

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            “More and more businesses are using wireless these days, but many people have no idea how easily someone could hack into their network and steal their personal information,” said County Executive Andy Spano. “A business needs to take the proper steps to protect its customers against identity theft and computer fraud. We want to make sure that everyone knows exactly what it is they have to do and how easy and inexpensive it is to comply.”

            Besides offering a seminar, the county has created a brochure listing five basic steps that even non-technical users can take to make a wireless network more secure. That information is online at www.westchestergov.com/idtheft.

Westchester’s groundbreaking law, passed by the Board of Legislators in April, requires commercial businesses that maintain personal customer information such as credit card or banking information on a wireless network to take “minimum security measures.”  For example, a retail establishment that processes credit card transactions could install a firewall, one of the easiest and least expensive ways to guard a network from attack. The law takes effect Oct. 17.

In addition, businesses that offer public Internet access must also “conspicuously post a sign” advising customers to “install a firewall or other computer security measure when accessing the Internet.” 

To illustrate the need for increased diligence, Spano and CIO Norman Jacknis took a “test” drive through downtown White Plains last fall in search of vulnerable networks. Using a laptop computer equipped with easily available software, they came across 248 wireless hot spots in less than a half an hour. Out of those, 120, or almost half, lacked any visible security at all.  

“This isn’t something that happens only in White Plains; it’s everywhere,” Spano said. “Nationwide, about one-third of all wireless networks are unsecured. We seem to be the first to come up with a law as a solution, but I think others will be following our lead.”

The law will be enforced by the Department of Consumer Protection. A first violation will result in a warning giving the offender 30 days to remedy the situation. A second violation will result in a $250 fine and any further violations will mean a $500 fine. The law doesn’t apply to individual home users.

Guest speaker Robert Gezelter has spent almost 30 years as a computing consultant and is a contributing editor for the Computer Security Handbook. The program is co-sponsored by Westchester County, the Westchester County Business Journal, the Business Council of Westchester and the Westchester County Association.

If you would like to secure a spot at the Oct. 4 program, please RSVP to (914) 995-2912 or sign up online at www.westchestergov.com/idtheft.