Cisco Cisco Aironet 1000 Series Lightweight Access Point Libro blanco

 

 
 

A multilayered approach to security is required to provide protection to any mobile solution. The following is a five-step approach for mitigating 

risks to the network from wireless threats: 

Calhoun 

CTO Wireless Networking 
Cisco Systems 

 

1. 

Create a WLAN security policy. 

2. 

Secure the WLAN. 

3. 

Secure the wired (Ethernet) network against wireless threats. 

4. 

Defend the organization from external threats. 

5. 

Enlist employees in safeguarding the network. 

Secure network communications entail both encryption of data and authentication of 

users to the network. In a wireless network, much like a wired network, these two 

components do not have to be combined, but for most networks it is recommended 

to use both. Exceptions might include hotspot or guest networks. In addition, the 

unique characteristics of the wireless network require adoption of other security 

techniques to defend the network, including: 

•  Using strong encryption 
•  Deploying mutual authentication between the client and the network 
•  Modifying the Secure Set Service Identifier (SSID) 
•  Using identity-based networking to segment users to appropriate resources 
•  Ensuring management ports are secure 

To protect the wired network from wireless threats, IT must also consider threat control and containment. Wireless threat control and 

containment are vitally important, especially in an era in which lack of threat control can lead to violations of regulatory controls or legal 

statutes. Even a “no Wi-Fi” policy is no guarantee of security against these threats without a comprehensive RF monitoring solution. For 

example, rogue access points can be brought in by employees, and notebook computers with embedded Wi-Fi can connect to neighboring 

networks, which can create security holes.  

By working together, both Intel and Cisco address such security vulnerabilities—for example, by utilizing roaming profile rules for the Cisco 

Unified Wireless Network as well as the Intel

®

 Centrino

®

 mobile technology client. Wireless network security is dramatically enhanced when 

both the access point infrastructure and the client are locked down. The last thing IT wants to worry about is clients roaming to rogue access 

points or a user setting up their own ad hoc network to some other notebook computer or device.  

Based on a multilayered approach to securing wireless networks, IT directors can have confidence when deploying production-scale networks. 

Such an approach ensures the integrity of the information passed over the wireless network and maintains adequate barriers to protect  

internal resources.  

Cisco Systems and Intel have worked extensively to improve both the robustness and manageability of wireless security.  

Both companies have: 

•  Taken a leading role in the standards bodies 
•  Delivered the Cisco Compatible Extensions program to bring the latest  

Wi-Fi security standards to Wi-Fi devices 

•  Provided customers with security standards such as LEAP and  EAP-FAST 
•  Committed to delivering improved security features such as management frame protection 

 

7/25/06