 Any space can be a workspace with wireless networking
Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks dramatically increase productivity and mobile access for businesses. According to ITAC, more than 50 million employees will be full- or part-time teleworkers by the end of 2006. ITAC also found that almost 60 percent of teleworkers say they work longer hours because they can work from home.
Increasingly, Wi-Fi networks are used to provide convenient and secure high-speed network access throughout offices. Wi-Fi enables your workforce to move freely and work at times and in places that they normally couldn't. For IT personnel, Wi-Fi simplifies creation and management of networks by eliminating the need to run cables to every notebook and desktop on the network.
Make the transition to wireless networking
Start with a careful examination of your floor plan. In large spaces, the challenge is to determine the number and location of wireless access points. Wireless access points are specially configured nodes on a wireless local-area network (WLAN) that act as a bridge from a wired local-area network (LAN) to mobile users. Wi-Fi networks require wireless access points from which notebooks and desktops receive electromagnetic (EM) radio waves. Distance from an access point and obstacles such as concrete walls or floors, microwave ovens and cordless phones all effect the reception of EM waves.
Next, determine the number of users, where they will need coverage and the required throughput rates. And don't forget to assess your equipment — to use wireless access, notebooks and desktops must have a network interface card (NIC).
Encrypt your wireless signal
Unfortunately, Wi-Fi is inherently insecure. If you don't protect your network, it will remain open to anyone. Encryption is the first line of network defense. Here, you have two choices: Wireless Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). WEP is the more attractive encryption option for companies with limited IT resources because of its easy implementation. However, WEP is not as secure because its encryption key does not change unless you change it.
WPA offers greater network protection than WEP because encryption keys change automatically and on a regular basis. However, WPA requires more skill to install and may require upgrades for older Wi-Fi devices. Both WEP and WPA are vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks in which hackers overwhelm a network with traffic, making it inaccessible.
Create and maintain multilayered network protection
Today's network security products go a long way to protect the confidential company data being broadcast across the airwaves. Many manufacturers are recognizing the demand for multilayered protection and are packaging multiple forms of protection in single devices, often referred to as "multifunction security devices."
Look for specific features such as:
- Firewall protection
- Intrusion prevention
- Network-wide antivirus protection
- Malware, adware, spyware and denial-of-service protection
- Application-level protection
- User- and application-based access control
Because all of these protections reside in a single form factor, they deploy easily and require fewer management resources.
Establish and enforce a security policy
Finally, be sure to create and distribute a security policy. Make sure that every wireless device supports the same security standards. Protect sensitive applications with passwords and verify that your encryption keys are changed frequently. And be sure to maintain all security devices that you purchase for your network.
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