IT Managers Ready Defenses Against Flaw in Wireless LANs

Information technology managers last week said a denial-of-service vulnerability that affects some Wi-Fi wireless LANs could force companies to develop new skills and rethink the way their networks are set up. But, they added, it should be relatively easy to defend WLANs against attacks seeking to exploit the flaw. For example, an attacker would need to be within the typical 200- to 300-ft. range of a WLAN to shut down data transmissions, according to security researchers and wireless vendors. Corporate WLANs that are well shielded within buildings or fenced-off areas should be safe from attacks, they said.

Companies that operate multiple access points on their WLANs could also switch network traffic to other access points if one or more were attacked, although doing so would require radio frequency management skills and tools.

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