Compaq nc6000 Wireless Security - Page 9

Conclusion A high-level understanding of the issues associated with wireless security is key to protecting your data and network. This is true of any kind of connection - wire-line or wireless. Over the past eight years, wireless security has undergone major changes to address the vulnerabilities in Wired Equivalent Privacy. Wireless LAN can be more secure, provided that we apply the new available solutions. The IEEE 802.11 Group, the Wi-Fi Alliance and major network equipment vendors such as Hewlett-Packard, CISCO and Microsoft are working together to develop new levels of security standards. WPA, an interim solution to WEP vulnerability, is available on almost all HP mobile devices. WPA, which is a subset of the 802.11i standard, addresses all WEP vulnerability issues. In addition, WPA-Pre-Shared Key was developed for use in a home or home office situation, where there is no need for an authentication server. The 802.11i standard was released June 25th, 2004, and products based on this standard will be available shortly. With the 802.11 standard, the authentication server can be part of the Access Point. Users should ensure all Access Points and routers have WPA or 802.11i certification. Products designed to be interoperate with other products designed to the 802.11i standard will be certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. Certified products will carry the WPA2 certification label. HP officially supports the Cisco-Compatible Extensions program. This is a formal certification program that attests to certified HP products interoperating with unique features of Cisco wireless LAN infrastructure As wireless LAN security improves over time, users will continue to find stronger data protection and user authentication, as well as improved interoperability. Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 offers enhancements for wireless security that address many wireless concerns related to WPA, 802.11i - and connectivity in general. Reverse Proxy has returned, and almost any web application can be accessed from any network without VPN, using this access method. 9