Despite a huge increase in wireless uptake, users still have poor awareness of their security, an area in which resellers should be playing a bigger educational role, according to security consultancy Orthus.

The firm's second annual survey of 450 European chief executives, IT directors and security specialists found that more than two-thirds of companies questioned are deploying wireless networks, but only 28 per cent have audited their wireless LANs for security vulnerabilities.

The figures showed no improvement since last year.

Only 12 per cent of firms are using anti-virus software on wireless networks, and only 23 per cent of companies have a password protecting access.

Richard Hollis, managing director of Orthus, claimed that this is due to businesses' lack of resources to maintain wireless security, and to vendors marketing solutions as 'plug and play'.

"Wireless is an extremely safe technology, more so than some internet-facing web servers, but resellers need to show end-users what they have to do," he said.

Chris Knowles, networking and security practice leader at Computacenter, said IT directors need to understand the difference between high-street consumer wireless products and more secure enterprise systems.

"There's a danger that IT directors will go to a big retail outlet to buy their kit because it is cheaper than paying for the consultancy and a properly secure system," Knowles said.

Safeguarding corporate data through a properly configured wireless network easily outweighs the attraction of cheap wireless kit, he added.

daniel_thomas@vnu.co.uk