Federal agencies need to improve Wi-Fi controls

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: JOANIE WEXLER ON WIRELESS IN THE
ENTERPRISE
07/06/05
Today's focus: Federal agencies need to improve Wi-Fi controls

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* NIST to develop updated wireless guidelines
* Links related to Wireless in the Enterprise
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus: Federal agencies need to improve Wi-Fi controls

By Joanie Wexler

A study conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office
from September 2004 to March 2005 concluded that while federal
agencies are benefiting by the flexibility of wireless LANs, few
have implemented the policies, best practices and tools needed
to operate Wi-Fi networks securely.

In a report submitted in May to U.S. Representative William Lacy
Clay (D-Mo.), the GAO summarized findings of 24 agencies
surveyed and 6 agencies visited on-site. Specifically, the study
found that:

* Nine federal agencies have not issued policies on wireless
  networks.

* Thirteen agencies reported not having established requirements
  for configuring or setting up wireless networks in a secure
  manner.

* The majority of federal agencies lack wireless network
  monitoring to ensure compliance with agency policies, prevent
  signal leakage and detect unauthorized wireless devices.

The report recommends that the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget instruct federal agencies to ensure that
wireless network security is incorporated into their agency-wide
security programs in accordance with the Federal Information
Security Management Act. FISMA requires each agency to develop,
document and implement an information security program for its
information systems.

Also, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
develops standards that agencies are required to follow and
recommends steps for protecting information. According to the
GAO report, NIST is in the process of updating its 2002
"Wireless Network Security: 802.11, Bluetooth and Handheld
Devices," a guide to building secure wireless networks, to bring
it more in line with current architectures and tools.

In the meantime, centralized management systems that enable
policy setting, enforcement and auditing can help fulfill some
of the GAO's suggestions. Note that the U.S. Joint Forces
Command, discussed in the last newsletter, is using the AirWave
Management Platform as a centralized platform for defining
security policy. The platform also continually audits the Wi-Fi
infrastructure to ensure that all devices are accurately
configured to enforce that policy.

The AirWave system can also identify unauthorized devices on the
network (or integrate with a third-party sensor network to do
so) and, as a management system, can trigger the automatic
shutdown of the rogue devices it discovers.

RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS

"Federal Agencies Need to Improve Controls over Wireless Networks"
(GAO report, May 2005)
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05383.pdf

GAO report questions DHS cybersecurity efforts
IDG News Service, 05/26/05
http://www.networkworld.com/nlwir3016

GAO urges DOD to adopt more commercial best practices
Computerworld, 08/06/04
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2004/0806gaourges.html?rl
_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Joanie Wexler

Joanie Wexler is an independent networking technology
writer/editor in California's Silicon Valley who has spent most
of her career analyzing trends and news in the computer
networking industry. She welcomes your comments on the articles
published in this newsletter, as well as your ideas for future
article topics. Reach her at <mailto:joanie@jwexler.com>.
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Good Technology
Wireless Mobility Special Report

Wireless mobility is always changing. Managing this change on a
corporate level requires both a technical understanding and
managerial control. Are security, integration, optimization,
and support considered? Download this report now to gain
important information for both technical and business decision
maker's on how to manage wireless mobility technology from the
top down. Click here:
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=107787
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

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Wireless research center
Latest wireless news, analysis and resource links
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FEATURED READER RESOURCE
FOCUS ON RECOVERY

IT professionals are changing the way they back up and recover
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