Wireless LAN Security(802.11b and Corporate Networks)

Although a variety of wireless network technologies have or will soon reach the general business
market, wireless LANs based on the 802.11 standard are the most likely candidate to become
widely prevalent in corporate environments. Current 802.11b products operate at 2.4GHz, and
deliver up to 11Mbps of bandwidth – comparable to a standard Ethernet wired LAN in
performance. An upcoming version called 802.11a moves to a higher frequency range, and
promises significantly faster speeds. It is expected to have security concerns similar to 802.11b.
This low cost, combined with strong performance and ease of deployment, mean that many
departments and individuals already use 802.11b, at home or at work – even if IT staff and
security management administrators do not yet recognize wireless LANs as an approved
technology. This paper addresses the security concerns raised by both current and upcoming
802.11 network technologies.