There has been a systematic significant evolution in the world of wireless and mobile network with groups of individuals and firms relying on the networks for their daily undertakings (Regan, 2013). The increase in the dependency of wireless and mobile networks requires that people and companies should be educated about the consent of securing the technology. However, weak network points have been the prime target for unethical hackers to get into the security systems with the sole objective of obtaining new and confidential pieces of information or data. Financial institutions, business enterprises, security establishments and large corporate houses have been the main targets for unethical hackers. Nonetheless, the menace can be prevented if the right and timely security measures are reinforced (Regan, 2013).
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How LAN works
A LAN is essentially a high-speed data network that is designed to cover a small geographical area (Yuasa et al., 2012). It is usually used to connect servers, printers, personal computers and workstations amongst other devices. The IEEE MAN/LAN Standards Committee bears the obligation of developing and ensuring that recommended practices and networking standards for area networks such as metropolitan and local networks are maintained via the use of the accredited and open process. Bridging and Virtual Bridged LANs Wireless LAN Bridging, Ethernet, Media Independent, Wireless RAN, Wireless PAN, Wireless MAN and Handover Services are great examples of the widely used standards (Yuasa et al., 2012). The manner in which devices are organized in a network can be described as LAN topologies. There are four LAN topologies. They include; tree, star, ring and bus. Importantly, the topologies are essentially logical architectures despite the fact that actual devices have to be organized in these configurations physically. For instance, ring topologies and the logical bus should be organized as a star physically (Yuasa et al., 2012).
Wireless Access Point is usually used to offer network connectivity in workplaces to empower the employees to work using the connectivity from any point within the workplace (Yuasa et al., 2012). Apart from that, Wireless Access Point is used to offer connections in homes as well as public places such as airports, coffee shops, and train stations. Antennas work by both receiving and transmitting signals (Yuasa et al., 2012). Once signals have been pushed from the transmitting unit into the base of the antenna, they are converted into radio waves. Antennas with higher gains have more focus on their underlying receive sensitivity as well as the transmit radiation pattern. A wireless site survey can be described as a process of designing and planning a wireless network with the sole objective of providing a wireless solution that can deliver the required network capacity, wireless coverage, Quality of Service, roaming capability and data rates (Yuasa et al., 2012).
Advanced WLAN security recommendations
The customer should follow forums and conferences that are usually organized to discuss issues of network security (Regan, 2013). More importantly, the customer should also focus on following forums that discuss the issue of hacking because latest methods of hacking and precautionary measures can be learned. The customer should also go a step further to identify the entry points. If need be, scanning software should be used to identify all the possible entry points from the internet all the way through into the network of the enterprise and implement the necessary measures that can be used to prevent future hacking. Default passwords should also be changed from time to time since some software is designed with inbuilt passwords that allow for the first login as soon as installation is finished. Furthermore, the customer should conduct a penetration and attack test to ensure that all the vulnerable points that exist in the network have been identified and corrected (Regan, 2013). However, it is equally important that the test should be conducted from both inside and outside network to bolster the chances of identifying vulnerable points. The customer should also coordinate the configuration of firewalls. It should be noted that firewalls that have not been configured accordingly can be used as the entry point into the network by the intruders. In that same regard, time to time assessment of the nature and composition of the traffic will also help improve security. It will also be important if the customer will implement the consent of using passwords. Nonetheless, strong passwords that are comprised of both numeric and alpha characters should be used. The passwords should be of a secure length and should be changed every 60 days. Physical security should also be established to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing the network. Additionally, the customer should also carry out users-awareness campaigns to educate the users about the best practices that they should uphold to prevent future security breach (Regan, 2013).
Conclusion
To sum up, it is imperatively evident that wireless and mobile devices network face an array of threats from the hackers. Nonetheless, technical expertise and best practices should be apprehended to correct any identified network pitfalls. It should be noted that timely identification of vulnerabilities and the implementation of the recommended measures is the cornerstone of reducing chances of having security breaches. Managers and other involved stakeholders should be in a position to understand both the importance and risks of developing a LAN before implementing their ideas to prevent security problems (Yuasa et al., 2012).
- Regan, K. (2013). Wireless LAN Security: Things you should know about WLAN Security. Network Security, 2003(1), 7-9.
- Yuasa, H., Satake, T., Cardona, M. J., Fujii, H., Yasuda, A., Yamashita, K., … & Suzuki, J. (2012). U.S. Patent No. 6,085,238. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
