Nation & World News
FBI warns of terror attack
on U.S. soil in near future
Officials say key events
during election season
may be al-Qaida targets
By Michelle Mittelstadt
The Dallas Morning News (KRT)
WASHINGTON — Al-Qaida is
poised to strike the United States
within the next few months, top
Bush administration officials
warned Wednesday, saying the polit
ical nominating conventions and
other high-profile events could pres
ent inviting targets to the terrorists.
"This disturbing intelligence indi
cates al-Qaida's specific intention to
hit the United States hard," Attorney
General John Ashcroft said, ac
knowledging that the terrorist net
work's operatives may already be in
the country.
The stream of intelligence, which
authorities termed credible and cor
roborated from multiple sources, is
n't specific as to date, place or
method of attack.
But they believe the chances for a
large-scale attack are grave, they said,
because of a recent al-Qaida state
ment that its preparations are "90
percent" complete and a calendar
loaded with prominent events: This
weekend's World War II Memorial
dedication in Washington; next
month's G-8 economic summit in
Georgia; July's Democratic conven
tion in Boston and the GOP conven
tion in New York in late August.
Perhaps most significantly, U.S.
officials fear that al-Qaida has been
emboldened by the success of the
Madrid train bombings — which
prompted the toppling of Spain's
ruling party and withdrawal of
troops from Iraq.
"Al-Qaida may perceive that a
large-scale attack in the United
States this summer or fall would
lead to similar consequences,"
Ashcroft told a news conference.
The administration didn't raise
the threat alert level from its current
"elevated" status, saying authorities
are far better prepared to deal with
terrorism. "Right now there is no
need to put the entire country on a
national alert," Homeland Security
Secretary Tom Ridge said on NBC's
"Today" show, suggesting there was
a lack of consensus within the gov
ernment on the need to raise the
alert.
Some Democrats charged that
Wednesday's ominous announce
ment was designed, in part, to
change the subject at a time when
the administration is under fire for
its policies in Iraq and President
Bush's favorability ratings are
Turn to ATTACK, page 6
How wireless works
1
Small transmitters,
represented here as a
tower, broadcast a
radio signal in an area
designated a
"hotspot."
card in a laptop or
portable device picks up the signal,
users sign in to prove authority,
transmits a reply.
3
The receiver picks up the return
signal.The network approves
the user and grants access to
the Internet, sending data.
4 The wireless card receives and
transmits the signal carrying
Internet data for the remainder
of the connection.
SOURCE: UO Network Services
WI-FI
continued from page 1
logged into the wireless network.
"I just like to be able to pick where 1
work," said computer science gradu
ate student Eric Purpose while using a
wireless connection in the EMU to
search the Internet. "I can grab a cof
fee and be out in public and I don't
have to sit in my office all day to use
the computer and work."
Wi-Fi networks, a common type
of wireless connection, use access
points — or "hotspots" — with a
transmitter and receiver that broad
cast a radio signal. The signal is
picked up with a wireless card in
stalled in a portable device, such as
a laptop. Once the laptop establish
es a connection to the server, usually
with a password, the computer con
nects to the Internet.
Smith encouraged anyone to sub
mit ideas of places that need wireless
access. Future plans include boosting
service in the University Bookstore
and potentially adding service in the
restaurants on East 13th Avenue.
Additionally, community business
es such as Cafe Paradiso, Indigo Dis
trict and Cozmic Pizza have started to
offer wireless service as an incentive to
woo laptop-bound scholars, and Star
bucks offers a wireless service plan
available at most stores. For students,
the wireless boom has meant the abil
ity to do work and research anywhere
they can find a hotspot.
Steve Massie, who works for Dis
ability Services at the University, has
been using wireless connections for
three months and said he often uses
the hotspot at Indigo District.
"It makes it a lot easier to keep in
touch with my boss," Massie said. "I
can check my e-mail anywhere and
do anything I would normally do on
the Internet."
Although Wi-Fi uses mathematical
programs to encrypt information sent
wirelessly, Network Services Senior
Security Engineer John Kemp said pri
vacy issues still exist.
"With the Internet in general there's
a lot of scanning and probing," Kemp
said. "We expect people to be cau
tious."
Kemp said that while there are
problems with people intercepting
wireless data, these instances pale in
comparison to the security breaches
that come in over the Internet from
more remote sources. Users worried
about the content of their Web-based
e-mail being intercepted over the lo
cal wireless network should use a
oieven neumdii raewb rceporier
secure connection, he said.
University mail servers offer a se
cure connection and users of MSN or
Hotmail can ensure better security by
typing https:// before a URL instead of
the standard http://.
Wireless routers and AirPorts also
allow homeowners to set up small
networks that blanket a home or
apartment with wireless coverage, an
advantage that lets users avoid ether
net cables.
Purpose said he first purchased a
laptop with wireless capability in
2000 to take advantage of the free
dom a home wireless network pro
vides. The wireless connection gave
him the ability to work on his laptop
throughout his house without drag
ging cords behind him.
Smith said the popularity of wire
less technology is an example of criti
cal mass — a moment when a certain
technology ceases to be a gadget and
become a necessity.
"It's just like cell phones really,"
Smith said. "People see someone with
wireless and they ask questions, 'You
can get the Internet on this?' or 'You
don't need a cable?' and it gets them
interested."
Contact the business/science/
technology reporter
at stevenneuman@dailyemerald.com.
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