Last few years have seen a sweeping commoditization of IT, more so in the mobile wireless space, with hardware and software vendors innovating to make their devices and applications easy and convenient for end-users.
Virtual WiFi, one of the many cool features in Windows 7, is a great example of this shift. With Virtual Wi-Fi, users can now turn their Windows 7 laptops into a Wi-Fi access point (AP). Free utilities such as Connectify and Intel MyWiFi make it very easy to set up a personal Virtual Wi-Fi hotspot in less than a minute in two simple steps.
WiFi is proliferating fast. The convenience of wireless access, low cost, and plug-and-play nature of the technology have been the major drivers for WiFi's popularity among home Internet users. Lately we are also seeing an increasing adoption of WiFi in the enterprise. More and more businesses are rolling out wireless LANs to cut costs and increase productivity. Today all laptops, PDAs, and smartphones have WiFi built in. WiFi hotspots, spanning coffee shops, hotels, airports, or even cities, are mushrooming to meet the growing demand of WiFi Internet access.
Understanding the PCI DSS Wireless Requirements
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) has published a PCI DSS Wireless Guideline which acknowledges that wireless is a clear and present danger to network security and those who collect, store or transmit card holder data must take steps to assure that it is secure, whether or not wireless is deployed in the cardholder data environment. Though the PCI DSS already included wireless security requirements, this is the first time that the requirements for wireless security have been described unambiguously for all cardholder data environments (CDE). Organizations which handle payment card data must take steps to secure the CDE against wireless threats including unmanaged and unknown wireless devices in the environment and must scan all locations. This white paper helps those organizations understand how the PCI DSS 1.2 wireless requirements apply to them, how to meet those requirements in a cost effective way, and how to secure your network and cardholder data from wireless threats.
To enable organizations to leverage their investment in Cisco Wireless LAN infrastructure, AirTight Networks delivers powerful integration capabilities with its flagship product, SpectraGuard® Enterprise. This technical brief provides an overview of the integration between AirTight’s SpectraGuard Enterprise and Cisco’s Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) that operates with Lightweight Access Points (LWAPP APs)
The proliferation of WiFi presents new security challenges for enterprise networks both wired and WLANs. Introduction of WiFi in and around enterprise networks opens security backdoors, which fall outside the realm of protection offered by firewall and other conventional wired network security systems. Appropriate wireless security architecture is essential to plug these backdoors and to complement conventional wired network security.
Both excitement and unease rolled through the wireless security community in November 2008 when news broke that researchers had cracked TKIP at the security convention in Japan [1, 2]. TKIP, an essential encryption component of WPA, which was heralded for years as the replacement for the broken WEP encryption to guard our wireless networks had been poked and sprung a leak for the first time.
This paper describes a new hosted service architecture offered by AirTight Networks that enables effortless, automated wireless security audits from anywhere on the Internet, anytime. No more “walk arounds.” Plug-and-play wireless scanners onsite scan round-the-clock without human intervention, and securely communicate with a central server hosted on the Internet in a secure data center. The central server analyzes the data with an up-to-date wireless vulnerability database and assesses the wireless security posture or compliance of a network. Rich vulnerability assessment and compliance reports can be generated on demand with just a mouse click. Now finally, auditors can do a large number of wireless security audits accurately and cost-effectively in very little time.
802.11n is a big leap in the evolution of wireless LANs. With major advantages in throughput, range and reliability over legacy Wi-Fi protocols, 802.11n opens up new possibilities for running various applications over wireless. The same features that drive these advantages also present technical challenges in network planning, installation, security, and operation of these networks. The numerous ways in which 802.11n choices can impact legacy 802.11a/b/g networks cannot be ignored. Enterprises should carefully consider these aspects to maximize the business benefits from 802.11n.
This white paper revisits the wireless security space, debunks common myths and presents wireless vulnerability management (WVM) as a proactive strategy to wireless security.
This white paper introduces a novel way for enabling on-demand wireless security that is affordable, effortless and customizable. In this new architecture, wireless security is delivered over the Internet bringing a revolutionary change in how businesses manage their wireless threat exposure. Depending on their needs, businesses choose and pay only for the value they derive from this online wireless security service.
Understanding of wireless security is unfortunately marred by many myths. Some are even propagated as wireless LAN best practices. Myths about wireless security can be both dangerous and costly. Many organizations spend valuable resources in implementing these urban legends that give a false sense of security and leave private networks and sensitive data exposed. In this paper, we will revisit and debunk top ten wireless security myths.
Learn how you can achieve PCI wireless compliance and avoid becoming the next victim of a wireless security breach.
