Wi-Fi is an IEEE standard wireless technology that uses the 2.4GHz segment of the radio spectrum to transmit data. Speeds can reach up to 11Mbps, or about seven times as fast as a T1 connection.
To access the network, clients use an adapter that generally comes in the form of a PC Card to transmit data to and from an access point that is connected to a network. Clients have to be within 100 meters--sometimes less within an office setting--of an access point or reception degrades.
What kind of impact the security holes will have on this rapidly growing market has yet to be determined because it's not clear how vulnerable networks are as a result. Early indications are that there is reason for concern, but not panic.
What is clear, though, is that these weaknesses have the potential to be a huge headache for IT managers--infiltrators will be able to not only pick up messages and files being sent over the network, but also be able to insert messages and steal passwords. The idea of it is enough to make an IT manager want to skip wireless networking altogether, but with the number of mobile professionals increasing, that won't be an option.
So what can an IT manager do? For starters, ask your wireless LAN vendors what they've done or what they're planning to do to close these holes. Providers such as MobileStar are suggesting that you employ a corporate VPN to secure connections between devices and the corporate network. You can also try products, such as Network Associates' Pretty Good Privacy, that encrypt important information, and install a personal firewall on all clients accessing the LAN.
In addition, you can use the RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) protocol, an added level of security designed to authenticate remote clients to a centralized server.
The IEEE has been working on enhancements to WEP and has already adopted standards to prevent such attacks as the ones carried out by the Berkeley group. They are expected to be available as firmware upgrades within the next 6 to 12 months.
Should you activate WEP, the leaky encryption protocol? Absolutely--it will help keep casual passersby from tapping into your network, even if it won't stop a determined professional hacker.
What has your company done to protect its wireless network? Talk Back below. Richard Shim covers mobile computing and wireless for ZDNet News.
