Atheros Communications

The popularity of 802.11 wireless LANs (WLANs) will explode in coming years for corporate, home, and public hot-spot environments—so long as customers feel confident that WLANs are private and secure. Since any WLAN security failure can harm the reputation of the entire wireless networking industry, everyone has a stake in assuring a high level of security.

Although the security protocols and mechanisms are available, however, most WLANs are not yet protected. Understanding the issues involved is the first step in achieving the necessary protection. This white paper describes the security methods available today, from older protocols that have vulnerabilities to the newer protocols that provide the security customers demand. This paper also gives Atheros' recommendations for securing WLANs in various situations.