TABLE OF CONTENTS Just as with any emerging technology, WLAN doesn t meet the security standards of many discerning organizations. Security improves with every iteration of the standard, but the popular 802.11b version has been lambasted in the press for its lack of security. Often, the horror stories relate to organizations that unpacked a WLAN, installed it, and never even turned on the most basic security features that were included with the product.
Even aside from making sure that embedded security features are active, there s still a lot a company can do to ensure WLAN security. First, organizations need to decide how much security is enough. It all really depends on what types of applications are going to run on the WLAN. For example, most hackers don t care about banal company data. So a company that s using its WLAN for scheduling updates may just need to turn on wired equivalent privacy (WEP) security. Of course, if an organization is dealing with really important data, such as financials or credit card information, then coming up to speed on the strictest security products available is imperative.
Proper network management is a big part of addressing security; if not managed properly, WLANs can suffer from performance issues and are prone to intrusion. The National Institute of Standards and Technology recommends that organizations implementing WLANs take the following precautions to protect their networks.
Understand the architecture of your wireless network.
Maintain an inventory of the wireless devices you have out in the field.
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