The days of needing physical access to a network, of having to plug each of your devices into a live network port, are over. Thanks to the advent of wireless networking, all someone needs to access a network is to be within the coverage area of an access point and to have the appropriate equipment to connect to it. Though such advances have made life considerably easier for everyone from IT administrators to telecommuters, they have also made life easier for outsiders who may want to gain access to, and possibly even inflict damage upon, your wireless network.

According to a recent research study performed by the mi2g Intelligence Unit, “Nearly one out of every two recorded digital attacks is now taking place via the wireless route as opposed to one out of every ten at the start of 2004.” Everything from laptops to PDAs to mobile telephones are at risk, and the consequences range from outsiders piggybacking on an organization’s wireless Internet access to businesses giving free and open access to their most valuable information and resources.

In response to these numerous threats, companies have developed an array of products to help secure wireless networks of all shapes and sizes.

Features

Due to the rapid proliferation of wireless networks among personal and business computer users, wireless security has become one of the fastest growing segments of the information technology industry. The resulting products offer countless different features and benefits.

Some products are designed specifically for laptops, while others are designed to secure virtually any wireless device you may be integrating as part of your network. Some products are designed to function automatically with very little user interaction, while others require a more hands-on approach. In addition to such bells and whistles, there is also a wide range of specific forms of protection offered. Some products offer automatic virus protection, while others focus mainly on tracking and alerting you of unauthorized users who have gained access to your wireless network.

To understand these benefits and features when researching particular products and services, there is also a bit of terminology you must be familiar with, the most important of which, and the most frequently referenced in the product descriptions below, is probably the 802.11 family of standards (802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g). These four standards were developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and are specifications for wireless LANs (WLANs), ranging in speed from 1M to 54M bit per second. Different standards are best for different types of wireless networks, and different products adhere to different standards, which means these standards can help anyone determine which products are most appropriate for their situation.

What’s Available?

There is a wide range of wireless security products available, offering protection for everything from laptops to PDAs. Below is a mere sampling of some of the more prominent products on the market, including the roles they play in the protection of a wireless network and how they compare to similar products.

• SafeNet’s Borderless Security Platform is a one-stop solution for authentication, authorization, and confidentiality needs. This easily deployed and easily managed solution enables granular authentication and authorization to applications, files, and networks, and provides enforcement of role- and risk-based authorization policies. The platform consists of smart cards, USB tokens, client software, server appliances, and management components, tightly integrated in easy-to-deploy packages that are an ideal solution for all Web and non-Web applications and resources.

• Symantec Anti-Virus for Handhelds boasts real-time protection against viruses and other malicious entities you do not want anywhere near your PDA. Protecting your data wherever you go, this product was developed especially for Pocket PC and Palm OS–based devices. It runs discreetly in the background of your system and gives you the capability to update the latest virus definitions, features, and OS compatibility upgrades through your desktop or wirelessly. The “Auto-Protect” feature offers constant protection against a variety of threats, but on-demand scans are also available, so you can examine applications, files, or your entire system as needed.

• The AirMagnet Laptop Analyzer is an advanced stand-alone solution for wireless security and troubleshooting. Designed to meet all the challenges of 802.11a/b/g WLANs, it offers automated analysis of any WLAN, boasts a wide variety of active wireless troubleshooting tools, and proactively detects more than 120 different network problems. With its assistance, IT professionals have a transparent view into Wi-Fi and can quickly and easily pin down virtually any network problem.

• Cirond’s Airpatrol Mobile takes wireless security one step further than most IT professionals are used to. It not only tracks down rogue access points and unauthorized wireless ad-hoc users but also instantly alerts you of their presence and shows you their precise location, saving tremendous amounts of time and resources and allowing you to take immediate action before any harm is done. Using an onscreen map of your floor plan, the program enables you to make quick scans at different locations throughout your facility and then head straight to where the problem is. It can also detect and locate “hidden” wireless networks (configured with the SSID identity of the wireless access point switched off), as well as 802.11a-, 802.11b-, and 802.11g-based wireless networks.

• F-Secure’s Anti-Virus solution runs locally on any Pocket PC device to provide constant protection from viruses and other threats. Automatically updated and always available, its compact and fast scanning engine can detect and delete all malicious software that enters the device through wireless connections. In addition, it supports automatic and unobtrusive scanning at startup and after every virus signature database update. Plus, removable memory items such as Compact Flash cards and micro-drives can be automatically scanned when inserted.

• Credant Mobile Guardian helps organizations cost-effectively support their mobile workforce and improve productivity by securing and managing all of their mobile and wireless devices from one management console. Whether it is network access, data transmissions, or mobile devices in need of protection, this product can help. It enforces access controls, encryption, and on-device permissions, and safeguards the recovery of applications and data. It also provides intelligence-based encryption on notebooks, tablet PCs, and desktops, detects and controls rogue mobile devices, ensures compliance with security policies, and more.

• WatchGuard’s Firebox Soho 6tc Wireless allows employees and telecommuters to work conveniently and securely from conference rooms, satellite offices, their homes, and pretty much anywhere they choose. WatchGuard recommends this product for a wide array of wireless networks, including: branch office VPN endpoints with wired and wireless networking needs, network administrators who want to manage wireless users and protect internal mobile laptop users, businesses needing secure communications between offices and trading partners, telecommuters who want a wireless solution that also supports multiple-wired networks, and businesses wanting to add wireless networking for greater employee mobility.

• The Highwall Enterprise system brings together various security components in one convenient solution. It includes Highwall Management Server, centralized software that processes security and performance information from a network of wireless sensors, and is capable of supporting multiple buildings with hundreds of sensors. Also included are the sensors known as Highwall Sentinels that monitor the airwaves and gather all Wi-Fi (802.11) information. Each sensor contains amplification technology that boosts the sensor’s range and coverage area to more than five times that of the competition. Finally, the package also includes Highwall Scout, a specialized antenna that brings the whole system together by providing extended coverage and location information about the wireless devices detected by the Highwall Sentinels.

How to Choose

Obviously, a great deal is at stake when it comes to wireless security; therefore, there are several things to consider when making any related purchasing decision.

Your first step, before even looking at product descriptions or price tags, should be to pin down exactly what type of network you have now and what type of network you will have in the future, and then decide what type of protection you are and will be looking for. Different wireless security products offer different things for different environments, and the worst thing you can do is spend a lot of money on something that either does not offer the sort of security you need or includes far more than you will ever use.

Once you have done this, and have a solid idea of what you have and what you need, you can dig deeper and start looking at the specifics of each product. These include such details as installation and ease of use, management and administration, and configuration, which in itself includes everything from physical attributes to compatibility with what you already have in place. From here, you can start to assess each product’s features, ranging from those you would expect to find on any item of this sort to those more unique elements that set certain products apart from the rest.

Finally, it all comes down to performance, which includes a little bit of everything mentioned above. Can this product do what you need it to do, and can it do so in a reliable fashion? What sort of protection does it offer, and is it flexible enough to grow along with you and your wireless network? These are just a few of the many questions you must ask, but it is not until you are completely satisfied with the answers that you should proceed with a big purchase.

After all, we’re talking about the security of your wireless network and everything it is connected to.