There’s a lot of excitement nowadays about the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend, in which employees use their own smartphones, tablets, or laptop computers to access the corporate network via wireless. But before you set up those wireless access points, there are a number of questions to consider.

Who’s allowed into the network?

The first step to managing BYOD is to decide who gets on your network. Do you have an open BYOD policy that lets any device connect to your network through wireless? Do you let anyone in, but make him or her register? Do you authenticate users via password? Do you allow only known devices onto the network? Do you support all devices and operating systems?

How much access are BYOD devices allowed?

Do you allow employees’ personal devices full network access or restrict them to Internet access only? If you allow full network access, is there a security policy in place to prevent company confidential information from being loaded into devices that may be lost or stolen?

How safe are BYOD devices and what are you going to do about them?

There’s more malware out there all the time, and it’s affecting more devices than ever. This is a problem not limited to laptop computers—the popular Android™ operating system for phones has a large amount of known malware. How will you screen connecting devices to make sure they have updated patches and don’t contain malware?

What about licensing? 

Do employees want to use corporate software on their personal devices? Do your software licenses have terms that enable you to install the software on machines that are not company owned?

How will you handle roaming?

Can your wireless system handle users who move from access point to access point without dropping sessions or requiring users to log in again? 

For more info, check out our brochure on The Changing Wi-FI Landscape and how to adapt your wireless infrastructure for the BYOD trend.

A common vulnerability in wireless networks is in their ability to create unexpected connections that can result in security gaps. Here are five common wireless security bandits to watch out for:

1.   The rogue access point (AP). A rogue access point is an unauthorized access point connected to your wired network, generally connected by someone in your organization trying to set up do-it-yourself wireless service. Although rogue access points are usually installed innocently enough, they can provide an unsecured gateway right into the heart of your network.

2.   The ad-hoc client. Ad-hoc mode is the ability of wireless devices to connect directly with other wireless devices without accessing an access point. If a computer on your wired network sets up an ad-hoc wireless connection to another computer, that other computer can gain access to your network through the ad-hoc computer.

3.   The out-of-compliance access point. Older access points that have not been updated to the latest firmware release may open your network to hackers. Keeping all the equipment on your network up to date with firmware releases will protect your network from attack to known vulnerabilities. Not doing this can weaken security and reduce network performance. Out-of-compliance access points tend to be a problem in organizations that do not have a security policy that addresses keeping all equipment up to date on their firmware releases.

4. The mis-associated client. This is a problem, not with your wireless network, but with nearby wireless networks. When a wireless client has more than one wireless network to choose from, it may accidentally connect to the wrong network. This kind of mis-association, especially if it’s by a laptop also connected to your wired network, creates a security breach. Although mis-association is usually accidental, a hacker may deliberately create a decoy wireless network that looks like yours in order to fool users into logging on. This connection then allows the hacker to steal passwords and attack your wired network.

5. The non-traditional wireless device. It’s easy to focus on laptop computers and forget about other wireless clients such as personal Bluetooth® devices, cell phones, bar-code readers, and printers that may also use your wireless network. All these devices are vulnerable to cracking and may present an entry to your network to an enterprising hacker.

Your best defense against these common security bandits is a cohesive security strategy that includes network access control, regular site surveys, and a consistent, up-to-date security policy. A centrally managed wireless system makes planning and enforcing network security far more efficient than in “traditional” wireless networks with autonomous access points. Managed systems can often be set to independently handle tasks such as network access control and rogue mitigation, making life far easier for time-stressed IT managers.

The proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers has led to the demand for Internet access everywhere. This has many organizations scrambling to provide Wi-Fi Internet access for both employees and visitors. The problem is that secure, reliable wireless guest access can be challenging if you have a “traditional” wireless network that consists of simple access points connected to a wired network.

If you remember from our previous post, separating your wireless network from your wired network is essential to keeping your information secure. This configuration is a major project. You have to reconfigure the network architecture so you can connect access points to a separate LAN using a firewall’s DMZ port.

Another problem for traditional wireless networks is how to provide transitions across different subnets. For instance, a person walking through a building while using a smartphone will find that a new login is required every time the phone moves into the range of another access point on a different subnet—hardly mobile access.

There is an easier way: Choose an enterprise wireless system that integrates these functions. For instance, you can use an enterprise-grade mesh wireless system with intelligent access points that creates a guest network by enforcing policy at the network’s edge—no controller is required, and the firewall is located at the ingress point of the access point itself.

These mesh access points also communicate with each other to ensure seamless transitions when a wireless device moves from one access point to another on different subnets. Users experience fewer dead spots—so no more huddling under an access point to get a good signal. Allow your users to get the “wherever, whenever” access they demand. For more info, please visit www.blackbox.com/go/smartpath.

Resources:

SmartPath Enterprise Wireless Brochure

White Paper: Wireless Standards, Installation, Security and More!

White Paper: Selecting a Wireless Technology

Before beginning any digital signage project, you will need to assess your site and your resources by:

Surveying the site where the digital screens will be placed.
Ensure that you can adequately mount, power, and have room to troubleshoot the installed LCD, plasma, or other screen. Be sure to have a technician verify the power levels for every location, so that it's clear of line noise and consistent, and there's enough airflow. Excessive heat can cause sensitive electronics to perform inadequately or even fail.

Also determine the lighting at all hours of the day. If it's under fluorescent lighting or in areas with a lot of sunlight, you may need panels with suitable coatings, the kind that reduce the amount of reflective light. And along with the ambient light, determine how much ambient noise is present. You may have to use larger speakers, at different angles, for your site's application.

Don't forget to take into account the size of the audience you plan to reach. Plasma screens with wider viewing angles may serve you better than LCDs in certain spaces. Touchscreen displays are a technology on the rise as well. This allows you to set up more advanced, interactive signage. Surveying traffic flow patterns at different times of the day will also help you determine optimal screen placement.

Ensuring that you have the necessary network connections.
If you don't, you may have to look into setting up a wireless link, which is also ideal for isolated storefront areas or deploying digital signage in historic, architecturally significant buildings where wiring isn't feasible. Or consider using standalone content player units near the signage (this won't allow you to stream live video from off-site or via the Internet, but it offers a solution if you're just playing pre-recorded content, such as slideshows).

If you have a wired Internet connection for content delivery or plan to use a private VPN over public broadband link, verify that your ISP can support your needs. Many providers limit the amount of bandwidth that customers can use. If this happens to you, your Web-routed content may be unable to stream content to digital signage nodes at the edge of your applications.

Even if you don't use the Internet, keep in mind that the larger the files, the more bandwidth and processing power you'll need. Industry pros will tell you that DVD-quality video (for standard NTSC resolution of 720 x 480 Hz) requires approximately 40 MB of file space per minute. For 1080i digital signage, you'll need 140 MB per minute. What's more, data-heavy files can cause network bottlenecks and if not provisioned for appropriately, can lead to costly downtime and unhappy users.

You may even want to consider a private leased-line connection. Yes, it's expensive, but it'll enable you to keep tabs on bandwidth usage, monitor data flows, and direct bandwidth to digital signage links with the highest demands.

And what if you plan to set up a distributed digital signage network with, say, 100 or more sites miles apart, with some locations in rural areas, out of the reach of DSL or CATV providers? Satellite instead of terrestrial lines may be what you need, particularly if you plan to multicast DVD-quality MPEG2 video to different signs. If you do go the satellite route, be advised that you might need signal decoders to convert what's captured by a dish on the rooftop, as well as a router that processes packets for content fed from an IP link.

Evaluating and planning content.

The first step in planning content is to outline what you want to display, how you want to display it, and how often you want to change it. Do you want to show live streaming video, RSS news, or stock ticker feeds? Do you want to share breaking news stories? Do you want to deliver constantly changing updates, messages, promotions, specials, etc? With digital signage almost anything is possible.

Today's digital signage solutions offer you a wide array of options and nearly endless presentation opportunities, including video, audio, still images, tickers, HTML, and flash animation. You can display the same content at multiple screens or you can display unique content at each individual screen. You can even schedule the content to change at regular intervals or scheduled times based on your desired messaging or audiences.

If your internal resources are limited, you can easily find a large number of third-party content creators that can deliver world-class digital signage. Creative costs can vary so you might want to explore a few options. You'll also want to make sure you see their work, talk to their customers, and get estimates in writing. You might want to consider using both internal and external sources. Have an expert develop content to be displayed and then you can simply modify the content in-house as you see fit.

If you're starting to feel a little intimidated by all the available options and decisions, don't be. The good news is that many of today's digital signage media players are preloaded with a wide selection of templates and user-friendly design tools that make in-house content creation a viable, affordable option. Once you've determined what you want to display, conduct an internal review of your available resources. Do you have the available staff, experience, and existing collateral to create the content? If the answer is yes, then you might want to consider in-house content creation. There's probably a good chance you already have a library of resources from company literature, Web sites, etc. Start with them. Most of the content creation systems available with digital signage media players are fairly easy to use and require limited training. Like most things, the more you work with it, the better you get.

Last week, USA Today posted an article discussing the increase of tablet computers in the business world.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Tablet computers are cheaper than laptops and can easily be carried around showrooms and offices. With fewer laptops and more space, companies are even saving money on the ever increasing, and seemingly unavoidable, checked bag fee.

What does come as a surprise is that many business execs are buying these tablet computers by the hundreds and even thousands. Often, this is without consulting their IT department.  IT Techs suddenly find themselves scrambling to adjust the design and management of their company’s wireless system. Businesses return to their Wi-Fi supplier (because they have to) to purchase expensive controllers and more APs, only to do the same a few years later due to company growth. This everlasting sales cycle becomes time consuming, expensive, and not to mention, annoying.

Now there is a way to break the cycle and keep pace with company growth and industry trends while still maintaining costs. SmartPath Enterprise Wireless system is unlike ordinary wireless systems. Not only does it provide fast, seamless 802.11n throughput, SmartPath APs are considered “equals” in a wired network. With all APs as equals, there is no need for a central controller.

Each SmartPath AP has its own “brain.” It behaves as a high-end switch, sorting packets and sending them to where they’re needed—broadcasted wirelessly to a nearby laptop, passed on to another access point in a wireless mesh arrangement, or sent through the wired network to another endpoint.  Because there is no controller, the system scales from two or three APs to thousands of APs—with no hidden upgrade costs.

By being completely self aware, Smartpath APs are able to track a user moving from one AP to another, so you never drop off a network. Thinking you’ll be in trouble if one stops working? They also automatically arrange a failure path with other access points.  

With older 802.11a/b/g devices, faster devices would be at the mercy of slower ones. This is not the case with a SmartPath AP. Its advanced circuitry and algorithms allocate air time efficiently, enabling older devices to share the network without slowing down 802.11n connectivity.

Why it’s ideal for your industry:

-          Healthcare: Doctors and nurses stay connected; improving patient care. Also track assets for more efficient delivery. 

-          Education: Speedy wireless allows students and staff to become more hands-on in the classroom.

-          Manufacturing: Keep track of inventory wirelessly—without the nightmare of a possible controller failure.

-          Hospitality: A full-featured guest management system allows you to manage who can and can’t access your network.

-          Government: Robust security and policy enforcement, including firewall and NAC functionality.

Now is the time to update your wireless infrastructure. Thinking about switching to cloud? The management functionality is available as a cloud-based service or standalone appliance, which enables you to manage the entire system from a single, user-friendly GUI consol.

For more information on SmartPath Enterprise Wireless go to www.blackbox.com/go/SmartPath. Not completely convinced? Play around with one of our demo units by calling 1-877-877-2269.

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