5 Questions To Help Evaluate Your Wireless Network Security

By Suzanne Dickson, Senior Account Manager, Zebra Technologies

$400 million. That’s the estimated loss from 700 million compromised records caused by data breaches according to Verizon’s 2015 Data Breach Investigations Report. There’s no question data breaches are becoming a bigger threat to companies worldwide, particularly as their customers and employees rely more on technology to do their jobs — and as more and more devices are connected via the Internet of Things.

In today’s world, your security strategy should include everything from your network and the data that transmits over that network to the applications that sit on your employees’ mobile phones. In particular, enterprises are finding overly permissive bring your own device (BYOD) policies can lead to security breaches. In fact, nearly half of enterprises that allowed their employees to use their own phones to access their network have experienced data breaches, according to a report by Trend Micro.

In particular, companies in vertical markets such as healthcare, retail, and hospitality often have sensitive customer data in their databases. This means they may want to avoid using consumer-grade devices and instead invest in enterprise-grade devices that enable advanced security, such as the ability to lock down the device and remove certain features that could make them vulnerable to attacks.

Why Not All Wi-Fi Security Is Created The Same
Another key concern is the vulnerability of a company’s Wi-Fi or wireless local area network (WLAN), where the primary defense is the Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS). The WIPS ensures users are connected to the correct network, with the required security, and are in compliance with corporate policies.

But not all WIPS security solutions are created the same. These five key questions will help you evaluate the security features offered by the WIPS that protects your Wi-Fi network.

1. How many threats does it detect — and how much information do you get about the attacks? Obviously, the more specific types of threats that are detected, the more secure the system will be. And the more visibility you have into those attacks, the easier it is to take the action that is appropriate for a particular attack.
    
2. How long does it take the system to detect a rogue device? When it comes to protecting your data, seconds count. In fact, in 60 percent of cases, attackers are able to compromise an organization within minutes, according to the Verizon report. So the faster rogue devices are detected and terminated, the better.
    
3. Does your wireless network support forensic analysis? Wireless networks that have the ability to record data points both before and after a data breach — and save them for further investigation — can help companies uncover and fix vulnerable points in their network.
    
4. Does your network support automated regulatory compliance? Make sure your wireless solution can automatically generate the regulatory compliance reports you need for quarterly or yearly audits. Relevant regulations include PCI DSS for the retail industry, HIPAA for the healthcare industry, the Department of Defense Directive 8100.2 for Federal agencies, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for enterprises and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act for the banking industry.
    
5. How easy can you set up and change network rules? Rule-based network management can reduce the management burden on administrators. Be sure to ask how many filters your wireless system can support — and how easily you can filter the system’s alarms to enable easier security management.

Forward-looking organizations are combatting network intrusion with systems that use today’s most advanced 24x7 monitoring tools to identify network vulnerabilities as well as to recognize and stop network attacks before they cause serious damage. For more information on wireless network security, please click here.