As wireless-networking technology evolves, so do the threats that a WLAN faces from intruders.

A wifi network that may have been once certified to be "fully-secured" (has anyone actually spotted a thing called fully secured wireless network?) may now very well be a free-for-all community WLAN -thanks to new hacking tools/scripts or exploits that may have been developed and released since then.

It would be highly advisable; therefore, to periodically evaluate your wireless network's security using the latest security tools, identify its weaknesses, and bolster it up as may be necessary.

The fact is, there is no such a thing as a fully secured wireless network. There are only two types of wireless networks: (1) Highly Vulnerable, and (2) Less Vulnerable. Considering that all data packets (including authentication packets) traversing a WLAN can be silently gathered by an intruder for as long as (s)he may find it necessary, it should be assumed that your network perimeters would be breached if the intruder were motivated enough. All you can do, therefore, is to make it as difficult as you possible can for someone to breach your network.

Having someone install a "state of the art" wireless infrastructure at your business location is not enough. A WLAN setup that may be deemed safe and secure today may very well be obsolete tomorrow and as effective as a screen door on a submarine. Wireless security is not like one of those set it, and forget it gizmos you see advertised on TV. Keeping your WLAN network safe takes an ongoing effort. You need to have someone continually evaluate the state of the security of your network, and patch it up as may be necessary.

We offer and strongly recommend to our clients that they ought to have one of our network security specialists conduct an on-location security audit at least on a quarterly basis. One of the most effective ways to do so is to attempt a controlled/mock security breach.

For obvious reasons, we are not going to list here details of various ways we attempt to compromise the WLAN infrastructure that we may be so auditing. However, the least that you should expect your wireless network or wifi solutions provider to routinely audit would include:

• WLAN Network boundary demarcation and containment
  
• Testing for Man in the Middle or MITM vulnerability
  
• Examining if any admin/housekeeping packets are being sent over the air in clear text
  
• Examining and stopping broadcasting of beacons
  
• Controlling access (if any) to admin infrastructure over the air

Again, please note that the above list does not include many other sensitive tests that one must carry out to fully stress-test a WLAN/wifi network.

As a network owner/administrator, it would be prudent on your part to assume that that it is not a question of "if" but "when" that your wireless network would be compromised.

Having a well designed security audit that is regularly carried out using the latest in "security threat assessment" technologies would not only help you reduce your chances of a WLAN break-in, it would also go a long way when it comes to showing to a claimant’s lawyer (or a class action attorney) that you have done everything that you can reasonably be expected to do for protecting your WLAN infrastructure.

Play it safe, have an experienced WLAN security specialist regularly audit, patch-up and certify your network to be safe. In doing so, you will not only be
doing every thing possible to secure the boundaries of your wireless network, you will have plenty of documentation to show that you have not been sleeping at the switch.