Hardening Wireless LAN Connections Part 1
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Who in their right mind would allow a WLAN in their environment? Learn what extra measures you can take to give your users the access they request with the security the network requires. (From the book,
Hardening Network Infrastructure, by Wesley Noonan, McGraw-Hill/Osborne, ISBN: 0072255021, 2004.)
Wireless LAN (WLAN) connections represent the classic struggle between security and usability. On one hand WLANs were created and are used to simplify the ability of users to connect to and access network resources. With a wireless NIC, a user can connect to a network anywhere on a campus, in an office, or at any neighborhood coffee shop. On the other hand, WLANs are by their very nature insecure. The data is sent over the airwaves, where anyone can potentially receive it. In addition, an illegitimate user can often connect to a WLAN with the same ease that a legitimate user can if the WLAN is left in the default mode. Indeed, no one in their right mind who has any kind of security focus would allow a WLAN in their environment. However, it is not a lost cause. As you will see, there are many things you can do to secure your WLANs.
At the same time, you may already have a WLAN or are planning one. Does this mean you aren’t concerned with security? Of course not. To the contrary, this illustrates how important it is to provide usability and functionality to your users. It also illustrates the simple reality that in the struggle between what users want and need and security, security frequently comes in second. This does not mean that we have to accept that we cannot secure our WLANs, though. Instead, it means that we need to take extra measures to ensure that we provide the access our users request while providing the security our network requires.
Banning WLANs Without IT/Management Approval
As mentioned in Chapter 1, wireless presents a unique problem to your networks. It is entirely too easy for someone to obtain a rogue WAP, connect it to your network (using DHCP to assign the WAP an IP address), and then allow anyone with a wireless client to be able to connect to your network, even though your wireless security policy should explicitly prohibit such actions.
 This is from Hardening Network Infrastructure, by Wesely Noonan (McGraw-Hill/Osborne, ISBN 0072255021). Check it out at your favorite bookstore today. Buy this book now. |
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