Extreme Networks Altitude 4000 Series, Справочное руководство, Страница: 295 / 521

Altitude
TM
4000 Series Access Point System Reference Guide
295
C H A P T E R
8
Security Configuration
When taking precautions to secure wireless traffic from a client to an access point, the network
administrator should not lose sight of the security solution in it's entirety, since the network’s chain is as
weak as its weakest link. An access point managed wireless network provides seamless data protection
and user validation to protect and secure data at each vulnerable point in the network. This security is
offered at the most granular level, with role and location based secure access available to users based on
identity as well as the security posture of the client device.
There are multiple dimensions to consider when addressing the security of an access point managed
wireless network, including:
●
Wireless Firewall on page 295
●
Wireless IPS (WIPS) on page 309
●
Device Categorization on page 316
●
Security Deployment Considerations on page 326
Wireless Firewall
A Firewall is a mechanism enforcing access control, and is considered a first line of defense in
protecting proprietary information within the wireless network. The means by which this is
accomplished varies, but in principle, a Firewall can be thought of as mechanisms both blocking and
permitting data traffic within the wireless network. Firewalls implement uniquely defined access control
policies, so if you don't have an idea of what kind of access to allow or deny, a Firewall is of little value,
and in fact could provide a false sense of security.
With Extreme Networks access points, Firewalls are configured to protect against unauthenticated
logins from outside the wireless network. This helps prevent hackers from accessing wireless clients
within the access point managed network. Well designed Firewalls block traffic from outside the
network, but permit authorized users to communicate freely outside the network.
Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. All messages
entering or leaving the wireless network pass through the Firewall, which examines each message and
blocks those not meeting the defined security criteria (rules).
Firewall rules define traffic permitted or denied within the wireless network. Rules are processed by a
Firewall device from first to last. When a rule matches the network traffic an access point is processing,
the Firewall uses that rule's action to determine whether traffic is allowed or denied.