Two ways to secure a WLAN, and the ramification if the WLAN is breached.
Sebastian Bach

Two ways to secure a WLAN, and the ramification if the WLAN is breached.

There is an added vulnerability when securing a WLAN than there is with a LAN. The multitude of packets floating around going from one or more access points to a variety of electronic devices can be a tempting arena for those wanting to gain illicit access. There are several ways to increase the security level of a WLAN. The most basic of these would be a router with an integrated firewall. This is almost exclusively found in residential settings. Keeping to the same architecture, firewalls can be quite complex in their modus operandi. Where basic firewalls work on the first three or four layers of the OSI model, the more complex firewalls operate on all seven levels of the OSI model. Often times accompanying these higher end firewalls, there is what is known as a bastion. A bastion is located on the public side of the firewall and acts as bait for would be attackers. The thought behind a bastion is to get the would-be attackers to go there, thinking they have accessed the protected network. Bastions are completely unguarded to make this process easier. Another method of making a WLAN secure is to encrypt data that is on the network. If this is done, the users will authenticated, which will yet again further strengthen the WLAN. For this it is recommended to utilize either WPA or WPA 2 wireless encryption. In conjunction to the encryption, use VLAN or MAC address control lists, to further increase the level of difficulty for the hackers. If the security needs of an organization are such that they require these measures in their security plan, then it is almost certain that all communications, e-mails, files copied, files altered, files downloaded, and files accessed are recorded.
Another option for fortifying a WLAN is to change the default network name to something that has nothing to do with the company. This will make it more difficult for hackers to figure out. Implementing a secure access for guests will permit them very limited access to the network and the Internet, while keeping them isolated from any inner workings of the network. There are two other methods of increasing network security which are more obscure, yet still play an important role in the security of a WLAN. Ensure that the management ports are secure by way of a centralized port management. This is especially important in a large network. Hiding and securing access points play an important role in securing a WLAN. The consequences for a business not layering security on its’ WLAN can be denial of access, the gathering and loss of sensitive or vital data, the creation of a slave computer, spoofing, eavesdropping, and unauthorized access from within the network itself (Stallings, 2009).

References

Stallings, W. (2009). Business data communications (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.