Foundry Networks has devised a way to restrict end-users
from accessing certain parts of a wireless local area
network.
Although wireless access points use encryption to secure network
traffic, access to the WLan is open to anyone with a valid log-in.
Foundry Networks aims to control this access based on the physical
location of the end-user.
The technology uses triangulation between three access points to
determine the location of a WLan user to within five metres, said
the company.
The technique can be used by IT managers to locate and eliminate
rogue access points – a common security problem encountered on
company networks due to the ease with which access points can be
set up.
Wireless access is a growing threat to corporate security,
because of the increased availability and use of wireless devices,
said Forrester Research.
“Now that handhelds are able to roam on corporate or public
Wi-Fi networks, attackers may try to use them as a ‘carrier’ to
take malicious code inside an organisation,” the analyst company
said in a recent paper.
The sheer number of devices, coupled with multiple network
access points creates a multitude of threat vectors that will force
many administrators to extend security beyond the enterprise
network perimeter, said Forrester.
Foundry Networks said its technology is able to monitor and find
unauthorised users and identify neighbouring WLans, which could be
used to gain access to a corporate network.
It also supports multifloor deployments, enabling IT to vary the
access to the network from different areas of a building. For
instance, a car park area could provide highly restricted public
access, while internally within offices users can access more of
the network.
The technology is available in Foundry’s Ironpoint Wireless
Location Manager. This provides real-time location mapping, aimed
at giving users a cost-effective wireless threat protection
system.
The system also supports the VoFi e911 coverage verification
standard and includes technology called Virtual Shield, which
provides location-based user admission control.