News

Hunt rogue access points - yet another solution

Yet another "security system" which can track down wireless access points installed by your employees, says Cirond: it has announced AirPatrol.

"Network administrators, in particular, are faced with the challenge of meeting the demands by users to have 802.11-based wireless networks in their organisations, yet still meet the concerns of senior management about how network security will be maintained in a wireless network environment," said Cirond President and CEO Nicholas Miller.

"The problem is that some users are not content to wait until their IT departments have developed an implementation plan for wireless - and may they go out and buy a $100 access point from a retail store and effectively 'blow a hole' in the security of the network. With AirPatrol, we will give businesses an effective tool for meeting that challenge by allowing them to easily find these 'rogue' access points."

Cirond AirPatrol can be deployed in environments where wireless networks are not yet implemented to instantly detect and locate unauthorised, wireless access points that compromise the security of a wired network. It is able to detect rogue access points using cost-effective, off-the-shelf, wireless bridge devices as sensors - such as the $97 NetGear ME 101. The sensors are constantly "on the hunt" for access point signals and, if they find any, will report them back to the AirPatrol console, with details of the access point name, MAC address - and where it is.

AirPatrol will come in two editions. The first - AirPatrol - is a $1495 solution designed to run from the wired side of the network. When it detects a rogue access point, it uses Cirond's unique, location-based MapView technology to allows network administrators to instantly see where the rogue access point is.

The second, AirPatrol Mobile - is a $995 mobile edition of the solution designed to be run from a WiFi enabled Tablet PC or notebook computer, and operates standalone without the requirement for any additional network equipment.

Businesses that have already have a wireless network - or which are in the process of deploying one - should use Cirond's new WiNc Manager 2.0, which also includes the AirPatrol technology for rogue access point detection.

Mobile AirPatrol and Enterprise AirPatrol will be available in the first quarter of 2004. More details at their web site.