Threat Alert: Wireless Is The New Internet

Until the recent indictment of 11 people for hacking into retailers' wireless networks and stealing more than 40 million credit and debit card accounts, the focus of corporate network teams has been to provide wireless connectivity and availability for convenience and productivity. It's now painfully clear, however, that the wireless LAN (WLAN) has become an effective attack vector for cybercriminals. Wireless networks are now a significant point of exposure, and it's imperative that security professionals focus attention there before it's too late. Tactical steps include firewalling the wireless network, segmenting guest access, monitoring the wireless network for attacks, eliminating rogue access points, and adopting strong wireless encryption. More strategically, however, you should treat wireless networks as "the new Internet." It's an attractive attack gateway for hackers and data thieves. Risk assessments and network policy considerations should include specific considerations for wireless networking, and wireless security strategy should be coordinated with broader IT compliance initiatives.