Wallpaper to keep Secrets Safe

NEW Wallpaper developed by the British defence contactor BAE Systems at the request of the UK's telecoms regulator, Ofcom, which can block Wi-Fi signals while allowing GSM and 3G mobile (cell) phone signals to pass through yet witch prevents outsiders gaining access to a secure network by using office Wi-Fi networks.


The technology used is based on Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) sheeting used to hide radar antennas on warships or aircraft by electrically setting it to allow through only the precise frequency the antenna wants to transmit and receive, while absorbing all other frequencies Such as those of the incoming radar, or in this case Wi-Fi and allowing mobile (cell) phone

New Scientist
BAE's anti-Wi-Fi wallpaper is made from a 0.1-millimetre-thick sheet of kapton, the same plastic used to make flexible printed circuit boards in lightweight portable gadgets like camcorders. The kapton is coated on each side with a thin film of copper.

On one side most of the copper is removed, leaving a grid of copper crosses. On the other side, matching crosses, turned through 45 degrees, are etched away leaving a film of copper with a grid of cross-shaped holes. BAE says that by carefully changing the size of the crosses and their spacing, the sheet can pass precisely defined frequencies, while blocking all others.

At that price �500 (approximately $250-300) per square metre, I doubt many large corporations or governments could refuse that kind of protection from any would be hacker (or professional spook) with an 802.11 card.

[edit on 22/8/2004 by 300k]

Ofcom engineers have confirmed to New Scientist that the wallpaper can block Wi-Fi at 2.4, 5 and 6 gigahertz, while letting through GSM and 3G cellphone signals, plus emergency service calls

Interesting stuff. I personally can't see this being near as 'proof' as a faraday cage arrangement with penetrating antennae and loop-outs (dead spots).

Big negative is:

When a current is fed through the diodes, all frequencies are blocked. Switching them off "opens" the panel to let mobile and emergency signals through.

This seems insecure at best.

Wouldn't be hard at all to have a "5th column" inside for a cell-call. Once open the non-blocked path is open on both ends.

To successfully block all the WiFi signals, you'd need a to also cover the ceiling. I doubt very much that they'd use wallpaper on the ceiling as well.

Also, at a few hundred dollars per meter... most companies (which have alot of square-feet under their roofs) would (or should) use the money on other security approaches.