Some clients might use the iSeries™ Wireless LAN to communicate to your system without wires.
The system's wireless LAN uses radio-frequency communications technology. As a security administrator, you should be aware of the following security characteristics of system wireless LAN products:
- These wireless LAN products use spread spectrum technology. This same technology has been used by the government in the past to secure radio transmissions. To someone who attempts to electronically monitor for data transmissions, the transmissions appear to be noise rather than an actual transmission.
- The wireless connection has three security-relevant configuration parameters:
- Data rate (two possible data rates)
- Frequency (five possible frequencies)
- System identifier (8 million possible identifiers)
These configuration elements combine to provide 80 million possible configurations, which makes a hacker’s likelihood of guessing the correct configuration extremely slim.
- Just like with other communications methods, the security of wireless communications is affected by the security of the client device. The system ID information and other configuration parameters are in a file on the client device and should be protected.
- If a wireless device is lost or stolen, normal server security measures, such as signon passwords and object security, provide protection when an unauthorized user attempts to use the lost or stolen unit to access your system.
- If a wireless client unit is lost or stolen, you should consider changing the system ID information for all users, access points, and systems. Think of this as changing the locks on your doors if a set of keys is stolen.
- You might want to partition your server into groups of clients that have unique system IDs. This limits the impact if a unit is lost or stolen. This method works only if you can confine a group of users to a specific portion of your installation.
- Unlike wired LAN technology, wireless LAN technology is proprietary. Therefore, no electronic sniffers are publicly available for these wireless LAN products. A sniffer is an electronic device that performs unauthorized monitoring of a transmission.