International. Network security is one of the biggest challenges that entities have had to face globally and what are the properties that a wireless network must have to be considered secure.
One of the most common problems in the digital world that is occurring, as highlighted by the company Infinet Wireless, is the retention or hijacking of information in exchange for money. According to recent data provided by cybersecurity companies, approximately 5,000 attacks of this type are registered daily, with Colombia, Mexico and Brazil being the most affected in Latin America.
There are several interesting points on this topic. Security must be presented throughout the process of transporting information in the network, at the beginning, in the course and in the delivery. Therefore, it is very important to offer protection in the process of transporting information, at which time theft can also occur. "There are two relevant aspects that make a network vulnerable, the first is the lack of information, that is, not having traceability of the equipment and its management; the second is simplicity, this makes criminals achieve in a short time a successful attack; therefore, it is necessary to have tools that strengthen access control, which helps minimize risks," explains Carlos Duque, technical sales manager at Infinet Wireless Latam.
In the case of wireless networks, these are part of a larger ecosystem, that is, the radio links installed in various applications are integrated with other technologies, such as; security cameras, Wi-Fi zones and servers, responsible for transmitting and connecting each side of the applications; most of these applications are transported within IP frames, which go to destinations beyond the same wireless networks, so having a wireless network with the ability to analyze and control IP traffic, without being the origin or destination of this, introduces an additional level of security with multiple configuration options from Firewall, access control listings (ACLs) up to bandwidth limitation based on VLAN, IP or TCP/UDP.
In case of not protecting the information that is being transported, the network becomes vulnerable and will be exposed to theft through a remote connection, "to avoid this type of computer attack it is necessary to have a transmission standard that is not easy to encode, in this case Infinet Wireless has its own wireless transmission technologies that do not follow market standards, therefore, they provide a higher level of protection to the data of all customers," adds Duque.
In this sense, Infinet Wireless, shares the main characteristics that a wireless network must have to be considered secure:
1. Secure management of equipment: Computers on a wireless network must have tools to make their management secure, that is, a list of allowed source addresses or ACLs. In addition, it must offer the possibility of connecting them to Syslog servers to record all activities in a central site, and in this way forensic analysis can be performed in the event of an attempted theft of information or a claim. It is also necessary to connect them to a RADIUS server to manage the credentials of all those who operate the network, being able to adapt to personnel changes and that this is not a point of failure in the future. Finally, it is relevant that you have the option to link with management systems via SNMP V3 which is the most secure and SSH or Telnet.
2. Secure credentials: in case of a possible computer attack, many manufacturers create reset buttons that with pressing them a few seconds leave the equipment at the factory, being able to be accessed and configured again, creating the possibility that it is stolen and used on the black market, or that it is configured from zeros in such a way that it serves other purposes. In the case of the multinational Infinet Wireless, it is possible to limit the option of returning it to the factory, through a super user key that can only be requested through the web service desk portal and that requires reporting the serial number; this is requested when the radio's user credentials and password are forgotten. For this reason, they always emphasize the importance of creating a username and password to maintain the level of security.
3. Pre-shared keys, encryption and proprietary protocol at the RF (Radio Frequency) level: having technologies that allow the negotiation at the RF level between the equipment of a wireless network to be unique and secure, helps that information cannot be intercepted and reconstructed, to impersonate one of the sites, or to generate a distraction in the network that slows it down or collapses it. Therefore, these technologies help in terms of RF to maintain optimal security levels.
"We know the importance of security, so we support a proprietary transmission technology that does not follow established standards, making the connection more secure, in the same way, we offer pre-shared keys and proprietary encryption. All these features help strengthen cybersecurity," concludes Carlos Duque.
