Secure Wireless Networking Using SSL VPNs

SECURE WIRELESS NETWORKING
USING SSL VPNS
Prepared by Peter Rysavyhttp://www.rysavy.com1-541-386-7475 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S EXECUTIVE SUMMAR Y ....................................................................................................................................................................2PREVALENCE OF WIRELESS NETWORK S .................................................................................................................................3SECURITY CHALLENGES OF WIRELESS CONNECTIVIT Y . ..................................................................................................3Wi-Fi Issue s .......................................................................................................................................... 3Cellular-Data Issues . ............................................................................................................................. 4Multiplicity of Connections and Platforms ............................................................................................. 4RECOMMENDED SECURITY ARCHITECTUR E ........................................................................................................................4Inverted Security Model ......................................................................................................................... 5SSL VPNs Compared with Other Approaches .......................................................................................... 6CAPABILITIES OF THE AVENTAIL SSL VPN ............................................................................................................................7Aventail Smart Access ........................................................................................................................... 7Smart Tunnelin g ................................................................................................................................... 8End Point Contro l .................................................................................................................................. 8Integration with Existing Security Management Infrastructur e ............................................................... 9CONCLUSIO N . .....................................................................................................................................................................................9ABOUT AVENTAIL ............................................................................................................................................................................9
Executive Summary
Companies are embracing wireless technologies to increase productivity, provide more flexible workarrangements for their employees, and work more closely with their business partners. Wirelesstechnologies include both local area and wide area systems. However, the multiplicity of networkingoptions as well as computing platforms creates significant security issues, including:ß Different native security options for wireless local area networks (WLANs) than cellularnetworks.ß An evolving security framework for WLANs and interoperability issues between vendors.ß Outdated WLAN equipment that is insecure.ß The danger of rogue access points.ß Internet traversal for many wireless remote-access solutions.ß Employees using both managed devices and unmanaged devices, such as home computersand public terminals.
The security architecture that addresses all these issues is an SSL virtual private network (VPN),particularly as implemented by Aventail. The company's Smart SSL VPNs provide a means of protectingevery node, whether internal or external to the enterprise, leading to the concept of an inverted securitymodel that does not depend on a hardened perimeter. By taking advantage of installed browsers and theassociated SSL security layer, companies can not only provide access through computers that have noVPN client software installed, but can al®so provide additional communications flexibility for systems withdynamically installed software. Aventail Smart SSL VPNs also provide highly granular access, limitingusers to specific application resources.
To go beyond the realm of traditional SSL VPNs, Aventail has also developed the following capabilities toenhance security and to minimize deployment and management costs:1. Aventail® Smart Tunnelin... [download for more]