4 Elements Of A Wireless Security Audit
Security is one of the main concerns in dealing with wireless management. It's important to conduct a regular wireless security audit to make sure that your systems will be safe from intrusions, but you may wonder what such an audit might entail. Let's look at four things that should factor into every wireless security audit.
Mapping the Network
If you don't know what is and isn't supposed to be on your network, you're going to have a bad time with every other aspect of the audit. This may require going through your building to conduct an inventory of all the devices that can connect over cables or wirelessly. Regardless of how devices connect, you want to know what should or shouldn't be on the network.
This will make it easier to identify IP and MAC addresses that have no business showing up in the network table. Likewise, it'll make it easier to deal with some of the next steps because you'll know what hardware is present, such as modems, routers, and switches.
Firmware Updates
You'll want to make sure all your hardware is as up-to-date as possible. This means identifying the models of devices like your wireless routers and switches so you can then download and install the appropriate firmware. If a particular device is so old that you can no longer get the firmware from a trusted manufacturer, then it's likely time to swap it out for something newer and better.
Port Scanning
It's easy to look at wireless management as primarily about preventing intrusions, but you should also take a close look at what your systems may be broadcasting. This starts with scanning for open ports on the network. For example, if you don't have a need for FTP on a network, close off ports 20 and 21.
Broadcasting ports also sometimes signal that an intrusion has already occurred. If you're seeing traffic on 3389, a port reserved for remote desktop access, and you've never needed remote access, you may want to determine why that port is open and what's being transferred across it.
Implementing Device Policies
As you get your wireless network locked down, you'll want to take steps to keep it that way. It can be tempting to let folks simply connect with whatever they have for convenience. Even if you have a bring-your-own-device policy, it's wise to make sure your network is tightly administered. If someone needs network access, you can use wireless management software to provide it in the most limited form that still allows them to do their job.
To learn more, contact a resource like The Bill Police.
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