U.S. Government Certified Wireless Security Products?

superid asks: "Our facility is just beginning to install small wireless 802.11b networks to support our office developers and staff. I think most people end up happy with wireless and enjoy the freedom. Our little branch office has about 100 people and our whole facility has close to 3000 people, so it's reasonable to expect our wireless needs to grow. However, I have just received an email, sent to all network administrators of our facility, directing us to shut down all wireless devices until they are certified by our Information Security department. Of course I'm not surprised by this. I'm aware of the problems with WEP and tools like airsnort. I know there are numerous security products and projects, but can any of them trace a lineage back to FIPS? Wouldn't it be a major victory to see an OSS product listed as validated by NIST?"

"Here are the certification requirements:

Encryption must be implemented end-to-end over an assured channel and shall meet the FIPS 140-1 or 140-2, Overall Level 2 (Triple-DES or AES) standard, at a minimum.

I know there are uncertified software solutions, but for ease of integration, our office has chosen AirFortress for a hardware solution. This will run us about $2,500 for our small office and is quite reasonable. However, it would be nice if there was an Open Source solution as well. The difference is that any OSS solution must be 'certified'."

Comments

Use VPN, forget WEP.

[netik]

Dealing with the current state of wireless security isn't worth it.

Move all of your access points to a network that is outside the firewall. Treat the wireless network as if it is completely untrusted. Enable DHCP on the untrusted network, but do not route the network to anywhere except to the VPN concentrator.

Place a VPN Concentrator on the wireless network and give VPN clients to all of your wireless users. No VPN = NO ACCESS. Problem solved.

All of your company's encryption requirements can be handled by the VPN concentrator, which I'm sure you can get certification for.

Re:Why government certified?

[gwernol]

Why do we jump to have the government certify our electronic devices, standards, and protocols? Why can't we merely rely on the private sector to develop sound products?

The private sector has a really poor track record of developing independent standards by which products can be compared. One of the main purposes of a business is to develop competitive advantage over its rivals, this is counter to the notion of having universal standards against which your products are measured.

This is (IMHO) a great example of where the government can provide a useful service to citizens that the private sector is unlikely to generate. A standard certification means that I can compare and contrast products from different manufacturers. I don't have to takes Manufactuer X's claim of "superior security protocols" at face value, I can see whether it meets certain well-defined criteria.

Its this kind of oversight that ensures that something like a true free market can operate. A true free market requires consumers to have excellent/perfect information with which to compare products. Private enterprise is incented to stifle the flow of such information - see recent attempts by companies to use copyright law prevent the publication of independent reviews of their products. We need a government - which ideally is free from commercial biases - to provide enough regulation and guidance to enable a true free market to operate.

Why don't we fight for LESS government and LESS government intervention...

If you don't believe there are lots of people doing exactly this you are very much misinformed. If you believe we should all fight for such things you don't understand people and you don't understand democracy.