Wifi and corporate networks
Wifi has been around for years now, but many businesses have yet to make the jump to it. Many of them fear that it will introduce an easy way to break into their network. That fear is an unfounded one, but it persists to this day. It doesn’t help that many high profile companies get broken into via their unsecured wifi though. Having an outdated method of encryption such as WEP does not constitute adequate security. Like many forms of computer security, one must remain up to date. There is nothing wrong with adopting wifi, as it may actually increase office productivity. that said, ensure that you have it adequately hardened.
Technorati Tags: Wifi, TJX, Wifi security, WEP
bill Says:
May 11th, 2007 at 12:05 am
And an appropriate risk assessment performed before deciding whether it is worthwhile. I want you managing my network.
John Says:
May 14th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
When smaller companies, like the one that I work, look at technology they don’t have the means to research and implement expensive or difficult technologies with high maintenance costs. Usually what is affordable is what is used at most businesses of the same size. When the discussion of Wifi comes up the very thing that you mention is discussed. The concern of “If large companies do have the resources to protect their assets which far outweigh the value of ours then how can we afford to implement this temperamental technology” has been expressed more than once.
Wifi will eventually come to the forefront and silence it critics but it needs more time to mature.
Don Parker Says:
May 14th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
In my experience a lot of companies simply don’t want to spend the extra money on another infrastructure when what they have in place already works fine ie: CAT-5. Going to wifi though certainly can help productivity, but until the IT department or management makes a good business case for it, there will likely be little investment in it. Not to mention the specialized security software needed to help ensure security. That is a whole different bag of hammers indeed
–Don