While some government entities–including the Pentagon–are shutting down wireless LANs wholesale, others are implementing unwired networks that combine established security methods with over-the-air encryption. Case in point: a U.S. Army base in Texas.
Fort Sam Houston is a prime candidate for wireless networks. The San
Antonio installation is home to the commanders of the Army's medical
systems and supports various military training services, including
battle simulation. Because other tactical groups often conduct tests at
the site, a network may be installed for a week, a few months or even a
year.On top of this, the base has 18,000 computer users and houses a number
of older buildings, so running high-speed copper or fiber wiring is
expensive, impractical and sometimes impossible.Wireless local-area networks based on the popular 802.11 standards
emerged as the best way to expand the base's network last year because
of the easy setup and breakdown, and the minimal disruption to the
existing infrastructure.However, such an approach is not as secure as its wired counterparts,
something other government agencies have discovered the hard way.
Link Discuss Thanks, Mike O. from socalwug.org!
