There are varied security risks presented by the introduction of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and wireless networks in organisations. Even then, organisations should not shy away from introducing them since they afford them significant strengths, especially in relation to enabling communication by individuals and salespersons telecommuting from given remote areas. VPNs and wireless access helps bolster their productivity. It as well helps organisations enjoy more and more of the related cost benefits (Vacca, 2006). That means that organisations should introduce them and focus on the mitigation of the risks. There are various ways of securing VPNs. As well, there are various ways of securing wireless access of given networks by external users
How to Secure Virtual Private Networks
VPNs can be secured effectively using the strongest practical authentication approach, or method, for Virtual Private Networks access depending on specific network infrastructures. When an organization uses the strongest practical authentication approach, or method, for the access, it should examine the documentation of its operating system or Virtual Private Networks to establish own options. For instance, for networks that have Microsoft servers, the usage of EAP-TLS (Extensible Authentication Protocol-Transport Level Security) in conjunction with specific smart cards offers the most secure of the authentications. These necessitate PKIs (Public Key Infrastructures) and expenditure on the secure distribution, as well as encoding, of smart cards. On such networks, MS-CHAP v2 (Microsoft Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol Version 2) together with EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) offer the next excellent authentication security. Ideally, organizations should not use weak authentication protocols such as PAP (Password Authentication Protocol) according to Henmi, Lucas, Singh and Cantrell (2006).
VPNs can be secured effectively through the provision of strong personal firewall protection, anti-spam protection, and antivirus protection to those accessing given networks remotely. They should be obligated to use the protections. That is because all computers linked to an organization’s VPN are capable of spreading infections across the organization’s network according to Henmi, Lucas, Singh and Cantrell (2006). As well, VPNs can be secured effectively using by forbidding the usage of additional VPNs along with software that is remote-controlled while linked to an organization’s VPN. The usage can expose the organization’s network to other networks (Vacca, 2006).
How to Secure Wireless Access
Remote wireless networks ought to be secured. Those using the networks should have their wireless routers taken thorough the requisite security configurations. It should be impossible to just connect, switch on, and use the routers without the necessary security configuration. The users should be trained on how the configuration for WPA computers and routers is done with keys that are shared beforehand. They should be trained on how to go about configuring their individual firewalls.
Specifically, wireless networks can be secured by changing the default WNNs (Wireless Network Names) of the routers used on them. That helps in making it rather obvious for users to know they networks they are trying to connect to, or reach. The networks can also be secured by enabling network encryption to ensure that no unauthorized devices access them. Organisations can encrypt own wireless signals easily (Vacca, 2006). Every router should have an exclusive password rather having them retain their default passwords. That ensures that unauthorized persons cannot access the routers. That as well helps ensure that organisations maintain their preferred security settings.
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