Lesson 2: How to build a secure wireless infrastructure 2

Lesson 2: How to build a secure wireless infrastructure 2

Lesson 2: Wireless
Lunchtime Learning

In Lesson 2 of Wireless Security Lunchtime Learning, you'll learn how to build a secure wireless infrastructure by understanding the myriad security standards and features that Wi-Fi products boast, as well as how traditional wired network devices and configurations can be applied to a WLAN.

Use the sidebar on your right to navigate to this lesson's video and three companion tips. Also, navigate to the quiz at the end to test what you've learned.



Video: From the ground up: Creating a secure wireless infrastructure
Creating a secure wireless network begins by building the wireless LAN infrastructure. But today's products implement a variety of Wi-Fi security standards, so how do you know which to choose: WEP or WPA or WPA2? This video explains the difference between the wireless network security standards, and how to build a wireless network with security in mind.

Tip: How to compartmentalize WiFi traffic with a VLAN
Virtual LANs have long been used within enterprise networks to create logical workgroups, independent of physical location or LAN topology. This tip describes how to use these same VLAN capabilities, found in both wired and wireless devices, to tag and compartmentalize Wi-Fi traffic, supporting your company's security and traffic management policies.

Wireless Security
Lunchtime Learning
Tip: The role of VPN in an enterprise wireless network
Early WLANs frequently re-used remote access VPN clients to overcome the limitations of WEP and related security concerns. But, given improvements in Wi-Fi security, do VPNs still have a role to play in enterprise wireless? What are the practical benefits and limitations of using a VPN over wireless? This tip discusses where to make best use of VPNs and how to smooth over conflicts between WLAN roaming and VPN tunnels.

Tip: Wireless AP placement basics
Many installers make the mistake of treating WLANs just like Ethernet, placing APs in locations that facilitate outsider access to corporate networks. But, from a security perspective, WLANs should be treated like the Internet -- a network composed of trusted and untrusted users. This tip offers network topology and physical positioning recommendations for safer AP deployment.

Quiz
WEP, WPA, WPA2, oh my! Find out how much you retained from Lesson 2 of Wireless Lunchtime Learning.

About Lisa Phifer

Lisa PhiferLisa Phifer
Lisa Phifer owns Core Competence Inc., a consulting firm specializing in network security and management technology. Lisa has been involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of data communications, internetworking, security and network management products for over 25 years. At Core Competence, she has advised large and small companies regarding security needs, product assessment and the use of emerging technologies and best practices. Before joining Core Competence, Lisa was a Member of Technical Staff at Bell Communications Research where she won a president's award for her work on ATM Network Management.

Lisa teaches about wireless LANs, mobile security and virtual private networking at many industry conferences and on-line webinars. Lisa's WLAN Advisor and Wireless-To-Go columns are published by SearchNetworking.com and SearchMobileComputing.com where she is a site expert on wireless LANs. She also has written extensively about network infrastructure and security technologies for numerous publications including Wi-Fi Planet, ISP-Planet, Business Communications Review, Information Security and SearchSecurity.com.

This was first published in May 2009