Wireless Networking Security: As Part of Your Perimeter Defense Strategy

The latest adopted version of the IEEE 802.11 standard is 802.11b, which can provide wireless network transfer speeds of up to 11 Mbps. 802.11b wireless devices work on multiple RF (Radio Frequency) channels around the 2.4GHz band. The coverage range depends on the transmission power of the device and physical topology of its location. The effective range of the wireless network may be outside the corporation's physical property which makes it hard, if not practically impossible, to restrict access to the network. This networking exposure has been vividly demonstrated by a technique aptly named 'War Driving', where large numbers of completely unprotected WLANs (Wireless Local Area Network) can be discovered just by driving through a city center with a wireless enabled laptop. Unfortunately, many address security as an afterthought, forcing those responsible to consider the features of the devices that they have already implemented. Most 802.11 wireless devices have a security protocol called WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) implemented. This paper explores why using only the WEP protocol to secure your Wireless LAN is far from adequate. It will also endeavor to provide a working solution to the problem of wireless security and options to adapt this solution to meet your requirements.