Check Point Software Technologies has certified a handful of new
wireless networking products as complying with its Open Platform
for Security (OPSEC) standard, which will enable those devices to
be managed from within Check Point's Security console.
Wireless access points and cards from Intel, Proxim and Nokia, as
well as wireless devices from Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft and
Nokia are now supported under OPSEC, Check Point said.
The OPSEC program allows companies to write their applications to
interoperate with Check Point's VPN-1/Firewall-1 security software
and the company's management console, therefore allowing
administrators to manage both Check Point and OPSEC-compliant
software centrally, as well as to create rules for the interaction
of Check Point and third-party software. Vendors must pay a fee to
Check Point to be certified as OPSEC-compliant.
Check Point chose to add wireless networking support to OPSEC
because "the use [of wireless LANs] is exploding", according to
Sean Leonard, OPSEC alliance manager at Check Point.
"People are bringing this technology in [to the office] from home,"
he said.
Wireless networking can be a serious security vulnerability for
enterprises, as the security features built into wireless protocols
are not always strong enough for corporate use, he said.
Despite wireless still being a relatively new technology to most
businesses, there is "already customer demand for this", Leonard
said.
As such, HP's iPaq handheld, handhelds running Microsoft's Pocket
PC 2002 and Smartphones 2002, and IBM ThinkPad laptops with
built-in 802.11b wireless all now support Check Point's VPN-1
SecureClient and VPN-1 SecuRemote clients, Leonard said.
WAP support, in the form of the Nokia 9200 Communicator series will
arrive by the end of the year, he added.
Check Point will add another component to a wireless security
strategy, the ability to detect unauthorised or rogue, wireless
access points through further OPSEC certifications within 30 days,
Leonard said.