Businesses in the City of London have increased their use of wireless networks by 57 per cent in the past year.

The fifth annual Wireless Security Survey of London shows the number of wireless local area network (WLan) access points has risen from 1,751 to 2,747.

The research, commissioned by RSA Security, also reveals that the percentage of firms protecting wireless networks from hackers has improved from last year.

But 26 per cent of businesses in the City of London are still leaving corporate systems exposed.

And while 74 per cent of firms in London’s financial district are now using basic wireless encryption to secure networks, more access points are unsecured.

Tim Pickard, area vice president of international marketing at RSA Security, says with more than a quarter of corporate wireless networks having no security measures in place, confidential and sensitive data is at risk.

‘It could affect company reputation and brand. Wireless networks could be used for criminal purposes such as distributing pornography or to launch denial of service attacks, and the firm is legally liable,’ said Pickard.

Graham Titterington, principal analyst at Ovum, says City firms are increasing their use of wireless networks to cut down on cabling costs, aid office moves and provide easier access for ‘hotdesking’ staff and business partners, but warned: ‘Businesses might want to limit what systems can be accessed via wireless networks.’

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