Ever get suspicious of your neighbors ‘sharing’ your wi-fi internet connection when you are at home or at work. Ever feel like your neighbors ‘sharing’ overloads or compromises your wi-fi connection? Researchers say that they have found a way to solve your problems with paint. That’s right: Paint. Researchers have developed a type of paint that protects your wi-fi connection from being used by other people outside of your home or office building.
It means security-conscious wireless users could block their neighbours from being able to access their home network – without having to set up encryption.
The paint contains an aluminium-iron oxide which resonates at the same frequency as wi-fi – or other radio waves – meaning the airborne data is absorbed and blocked.
By coating an entire room, signals can’t get in and, crucially, can’t get out.
Developed at the University of Tokyo, the paint could cost as little as £10 per kilogram, researchers say.
Instead of companies investing in complicated and expensive encryption software, this simple and inexpensive paint could prevent hackers from having access to secure information.
While paints blocking lower frequencies have been available for some time, Mr Ohkoshi’s technology is the first to absorb frequencies transmitting at 100GHz (gigahertz). Signals carrying a larger amount of data – such as wireless internet – travel at a higher frequency than, for example, FM radio.
“I’m working on a material that can absorb a larger range of frequencies. We are capable of making a paint that can absorb over 200 gigahertz.”
He hopes that soon the technology could be woven into clothing.
“We’re not sure about the true effects of electromagnetic waves, in this range, on the human body.
While I’m not sure if I’m ready to dip my clothes in paint, I sure am glad that there are reserachers out there working on keeping our information safe.