Conclusion

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Today's WLAN security measures primarily comprise third-party infrastructure overlays. In the future, we hope to see more wireless security capabilities built into the client operating system and the infrastructure equipment. Microsoft, for example, has implemented 802.1X authentication in Windows XP, though interoperability challenges still loom. And the major enterprise-oriented access point vendors are including 802.1X support in their products.

Various industry polls have found that the vast majority of respondents feel that they shouldn't need to turn to third-party products for security. Are those respondents naive, or are vendors and standards bodies simply trailing demand? The answer probably falls somewhere in the middle.

Although most IT managers understand the unique security challenges WLANs pose, implementing robust wireless security doesn't make much sense without taking adequate steps to secure more traditional systems. Thus, you should look to establish comprehensive security policies backed by integrated systems that address all your needs, not just the protection of mobile users. Even if you've been lax in implementing security on legacy systems, perhaps because it would inconvenience users, you now have a chance to take a stand on wireless. In this sense, wireless may provide an opportunity for security officers seeking to correct past ills.

Meantime, your choices are somewhat more tactical in nature, and they aren't cheap. However, if the benefits of mobility are visible on the bottom line, you can indeed engineer a system that won't keep you awake at night.

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