Banning Wireless Networks

[esutherland]

What do you think of high tech organizations banning wireless networks? (see www.80211-planet.com/news/article/0,4000,1481_966021,00.html)

Is this a case of erring on the side of caution or simply misguided zealotry? The alarm in 2001 was over rogue WLANs set up by workers and networks operated without the barest of security. What's happening at Lawrence Livermore is throwing the baby out with the bathwater - secure the networks, don't outlaw them.

Besides, as we've learned in Enron and a multitude of other cases, simple e-mail or walking off with papers does more damage to profits and national security than a wireless network.

Ed

[ua549]

I think a ban is more than justified, especially when working in secure environments. Just because there are more economic losses from social engineering than electronic misdeeds, doesn't mean that one should ignore an obvious source for "data leakage". If your data is important, defend it to the greatest extent economically feasible. Banning wireless networks, unauthorized modems, etc. is a very low cost way to limit one's risk of data loss and/or compromise.

At a consulting assignment 4 years ago, the client went as far as installing wire mesh in the interior walls and ceilings throughout their 10 acre office complex. A cell phone wouldn't work using a signal tower across the street. They also prohibited cell phones, cameras, recording devices, and multimedia devices/software in PCs. I know, I helped write the security policies and established safe guards and methodologies for detecting violations.