Wireless network security: design considerations for an enterprise network

Abstract : Since its introduction in 1999, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) has become the de-facto standard for wireless networking, providing convenient and low cost connectivity. Increasingly, enterprises are extending their networks with 802.11-based WLANs to provide mobility and information-on-the-move for its employees. However, the introduction of WLANs into enterprise networks has raised major concerns about security. A poorly implemented WLAN introduces weaknesses in the enterprise network which can be exploited by attackers, resulting in severe consequences for the enterprise. This thesis was sponsored by the DoD to study the problem of designing a secure wireless architecture for an enterprise network. The specific requirements for the enterprise network were based extensively on DoD and the intelligence community's security guidelines and policies. This thesis provides an indepth analysis into the 802.11 standard and measures how far the standard goes in meeting the specific requirements of the enterprise network. This thesis presents a layered-defense architecture to provide a scalable design for secure wireless networks. A prototype system utilizing XML to control the flow of classified information in wireless networks is also presented.