8 WLAN Security Best Practices

If you are in the process of implementing or redesigning a wireless LAN for your company, you must make security a top priority. Because wireless signals often propogate beyond physical barriers, the risk of someone attempting to break in using the wireless infrastructure is higher compared to someone gaining physical access to a wired port.

Additionally, simply securing a WLAN through the use of authentication mechanisms and encryption isn't enough. You have to be concerned with who you are granting access to and what they can access. The identification and segmentation of employees, contractors, and guests is a great way to  protect the network.

BYOD is a top consideration when investigating how to best secure your wireless LAN. Losing control over the devices and software that access internal resources requires a new layer of security between the foreign end device and the wireless network.

Moreover, enterprises must consider the possibility of advanced threats that can be used in an attempt to steal data or to disrupt wireless connectivity, both of which can be incredibly damaging to business objectives. New WLAN security tools can help mitigate these threats.

In this slideshow, we’ll discuss these WiFi security risks and what best practice methods can be implemented to alleviate the threats.

Learn more about wireless infrastructure and supporting the mobile enterprise in the Wireless & Mobility Track at Interop Las Vegas this spring. May 2-6. Don't miss out -- Register now!

(Image: Mikko Lemola/iStockphoto)