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The advantages of 802.11 networks are great, but they come with a price. WLANs are inherently vulnerable to malicious attacks, due to the uncontrolled nature of the wireless medium and to the complexities with securing wireless LAN devices, networks, and configurations. Wireless signals spill out uncontrollably beyond physical walls and can leave a back door open to the rest of the network. A single misconfigured access point or laptop - or a single rogue access point - creates a potentially enormous security hole for hackers to walk right through. It's no wonder that 802.11 networks are today's favorite hacking target.
In light of this challenging network medium, a well designed security policy like the DoD Wireless Directive is essential. But the Directive will only be as effective as the ability to monitor for vulnerabilities and attacks, accurately and instantly. This means continous RF-based monitoring, distributed across the entire area where the Directive is in effect. And it has to be cost-effective.
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| Authentication and Encryption - use and verification measurements at both device and network level for strong authentication and FIPS 140-2 encryption. |
4.1.1
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| RF Monitoring - actively screen for wireless devices, monitor for use in unauthorized areas or when connected directly to DoD-wired network. |
4.3
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| Vulnerability Assessment - detect and asses the risks and vulnerabilities associated with wireless technologies |
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| RF Intrusion Detection - monitor for external attacks and accidental interference from friendly sources. |
4.1.4
5.6.5.2 |
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| Network Management and Support - detect interference to aid in resolution. |
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| Knowledge Reporting - sharing wireless expertise between agencies; develop and distribute threat mitigation information. |
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| Cost-Effectiveness - ensure strategies and potential architectures that minimize costs of wireless systems. |
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How Network Chemistry's RFprotect™ Family of Solutions Helps you Comply to the Directive
Authentication and Encryption
Network Chemistry's RFprotect automatic notification of policy violation to key security configurations, such as the authentication and encryption used by access points, VPN gateways, and client devices. For hackers to get through, it takes just one device to be misconfigured or altered. The system's unique CustomProtect™ tool allows operators to define signature rules that report policy violations in real-time on a per access point or device basis.
RF Monitoring
RFprotect utilizes distributed RF-based sensor technology to auto-discover all the 802.11 assets end-to-end. More than showing the APs connected to the network, the system will identify all active 802.11 devices using the airwaves and display their status in real-time, including traffic patterns. Particularly important in areas where unauthorized wireless activity is prohibited, RFprotect will immediately detect unauthorized wireless activity is prohibited, RFprotect will immediately detect unauthorized devices and help you to disable them before a hacker can exploit them.
Vulnerability Assessment
RFprotect provides proactive vulnerability assessment of 802.11 networks and devices. The system will identify mis-configurations, mis-implementations, and policy violations. RFprotect provides superior audit capabilities over handheld scanners because it monitors 24x7 across the entire geography. Vulnerabilities are summarized in both real-time displays and historical reports.
RF Intrusion Detection
RFprotect is a sophisticated 802.11 intrusion detection system, uniquely capable of detecting wireless specific denial of serivce attacks, mapping operational measurements to determine whether the interference is accidental or malicious. The system also scans for all types of suspicious activities, identifying active attacks and reconnaissance activities in progress.
Network Management and Support
RFprotect monitors 802.11 performance, enabling network operations to maximize network performance and reliability. The system reports of noise and interference form neighboring wireless networks, channel overlap, congested access points, network utilization, and station throughout. These tools are essential for isolating interference anomalies, whether it is from friendly sources or outside attacks.
Knowledge Reporting
All the detailed information that RFprotect generates is archived in a database for trend reporting, such as planning and forensic analysis. A suite of standard management reports is included. They system easily integrates with leading enterprises reporting applications.
Cost-Effectiveness
Initial RF-based monitoring systems were simply cost-prohibitive for most deployments. But RFprotect delivers the industry's Best Value for wireless intrusion protection for several reasons. Purpose built-sensors achieve new levels of cost reduction and performance. A next-generation architecture eliminates the need for proprietary server hardware appliances. And by leveraging proven open-source, the resulting system is half the cost of competitive 802.11-monitoring alternatives.
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