Windows Tip Sheet
Securing the Invisible
If you're going wireless, better upgrade both your software and hardware to WPA2.
If you’re using wireless in your environment, then Wi-Fi Protected Access
(WPA) is the security protocol you should be using; it’s far better than
the often-hacked WEP protocol originally introduced. (Actually, did you know
that WPA2 is out?)
Before I get ahead of myself, be sure to check out the link
below to get the WPA support for Win2003, which allows you to configure
any wireless servers (yeah, right) you may have via centralized Group Policy.
Far more interesting, though, is WPA2,
which is supported
on WinXP. WPA2 is the first official amendment to the IEEE 802.11i standard.
Going forward, all Wi-Fi-certified devices will have to comply with WPA2, so
hardware support will simply mean buying yet another wireless network adapter,
access point, and so forth. Actually, that’s the big limitation in implementing
WPA2: So many of us have built-in, non-upgradeable network adapters these days
that we’re limited to the next laptop upgrade to get WPA2. WPA2 has been
around since September 2004, so it’s possible that the brand-new laptop
you’ve got supports it. In theory, software-upgradeable embedded
wireless adapters are possible, but because of WPA2’s new encryption,
you’re probably looking at needing new hardware.
WPA2’s claim to fame is stronger encryption, using the newer government-issue
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). The use of AES actually makes wireless acceptable
for many government users who, previously, couldn’t use wireless primarily
because it didn’t use AES. I’m told this will be a huge help
to folks in Homeland Security, FEMA and other government organizations within
the United States. In keeping with the Wi-Fi Alliance’s theme of backward
compatibility, all WPA2 devices will interoperate with WPA devices, allowing
for a progressive rollout of this new technology.
By the by, that WinXP
update is only available to customers running genuine Microsoft Windows,
meaning you’ll have to do the littler security-check thing in order to
download it. If you haven’t done the Genuine Check, it’s worth downloading
this update just to see one of the ways in which Microsoft is attempting to
combat software piracy.
More Resources:
- Read
about how to enable WPA for Win2003 via Group Policy.
- Learn
about WPA2.
- Get
WPA2 for WinXP.
About the Author
Don Jones is a multiple-year recipient of Microsoft’s MVP Award, and is Curriculum Director for IT Pro Content for video training company Pluralsight. Don is also a co-founder and President of PowerShell.org, a community dedicated to Microsoft’s Windows PowerShell technology. Don has more than two decades of experience in the IT industry, and specializes in the Microsoft business technology platform. He’s the author of more than 50 technology books, an accomplished IT journalist, and a sought-after speaker and instructor at conferences worldwide. Reach Don on Twitter at @concentratedDon, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/ConcentratedDon.