Wi-Fi (802.11x) - Что это такое? (Новости)
Выпуск № 35 от 15.11.2004.
Тема:
Cisco turns to AirDefense for Wi-Fi security
Peter Judge, Techworld.com
15/11/2004 07:36:15
At the launch of two not-very-exciting access
points, Cisco Systems has confirmed that big vendors' wireless security
is not good enough without help form smaller, specialist start-ups.
During the launch of two dual-band
802.11a/b/g Aironet access points, Cisco announced that its SWAN
architecture will allow the integration of security products from other
vendors -- first up being AirDefense, whose wireless IDS has just been
updated.
While Cisco has been criticized for lagging
on access point security, the new 1130AG and 1230AG access points catch
up, with 802.11i security at Cisco prices (a hefty US$699 and US$999
per AP, respectively). The new APs have passed the Wi-Fi Alliance's
WPA2 branding scheme for 802.11i.
Cisco has promised to deliver an upgrade to
existing 1200 APs for the AES encryption which is part of 802.11i - in
this announcement it offers a US$299 upgrade which adds an 802.11a
wireless to the older access points.
If that sounds pricey compared with other
companies' dual-band APs, Cisco claims some improvements: the new .11a
radios have a better range than previous ones, to the extent that .11a
now goes as far as .11b/g. The APs can be put in with one site survey,
the company claims.
More significantly, Cisco has opened up its
SWAN architecture to allow IT managers to slot in security products
form other vendors -- AirDefense featured as a partner in this
announcement.
Cisco's SWAN has an intrusion detection
feature, but many users have found it not adequate. Cisco's mobility
marketing manager Christophe Servais admitted to website Unstrung, that
the AirDefense IDS was "better".
Instead of specialist probes, the AirDefense
IDS will use dedicated Aironet APs, and the AirDefense server can be
accessed through Cisco's wireless management console, Wireless LAN
Solution Engine (WLSE).
Despite the superiority of security products
from the start-ups, they will need deals with the big guys to survive,
and Unstrung predicts a shake-out as the less successful go to the
wall. AirDefense is likely to avoid this fate, with this deal adding to
an earlier partnership with IBM.
And other start-ups are jockeying for
position. AirMagnet, will also be there according to Rich Mironov,
marketing vice president there. He told website Wi-Fi Planet his
product would be in there too: "To be a stand-alone application is
great, but being part of a system is better."
One final point though -- Cisco is
continuing to play with a big company's cards. Like the other
behemoths, it believes its announcements are so strategic they have to
be trailed months in advance: the AirDefense integration won't actually
be available till March.