Is a Wireless Network Safe for Your Business?

As wireless becomes part of the network landscape, businesses need be vigilant about security to remain protected.

By Beth Stackpole, writer for IT Consulting

Fueled by the rise of wireless networks in the home, and with Wifi networking cards a staple in nearly every laptop sold today, small and medium-sized businesses and enterprise companies are finally embracing the technology as a core piece of the corporate network.

Wireless LANs (WLANs) have been around for years, but they have predominantly been relegated to individual departments or remote branch offices, brought in by enthusiasts who were bitten by the wireless bug for home use. WLANs present real business benefits to both large and small companies in terms of cost savings and flexibility.

Benefits and Drawbacks of WLAN

For example, allowing employees to access the company network or the Internet while in meetings away from their offices can translate into huge productivity boosts. WLANs are also a great resource to offer visitors as a means to stay connected and remain productive while at your site. In terms of cost savings, WLANs can be less expensive to install than a wired network (especially if you're relying on $100 access points), and they can typically be up and running with minimal IT intervention. Finally, because WLANs have no physical connections, they don't require the installation of any network cabling through the walls allowing them to be implemented faster and accommodate frequent changes when departments are relocated, or when they bring in additional employees.

Ironically, the ease and speed in which a WLAN can be configured is one of the factors that has worked against its status as an equal member of the corporate network.  Since many WLANs are brought in under the radar screen of the IT department (commonly referred to as rogue access points), they operate without the same security and management controls afforded to the traditional wired networks. In addition to concerns about security, many companies have been slow to deploy WLANs on a large-scale basis because they don't yet see a business justification for mobility when so many of their workforce is still using desktop computers.

The tide is starting to turn as new high-end security options and enterprise-class network management capabilities become available for WLANs. Companies like Cisco Systems Inc., 3Com, AirTight Networks and Proxim, among others, have released intrusion prevention systems, site survey tools and network management consoles designed to help SMBs and small enterprise companies manage their WLANs with the same level of control and security afforded to traditional wired networks.

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