Types of wireless networks
Wireless networks manage to propagate the Internet connection through non-physical means, using different technologies such as electromagnetic waves, radiation and optical means for their transfer.
There are several types of wireless networks with different scopes and functionalities; they allow us to be connected and secure with our information and the information we share at a personal and work level.
What is Wireless?
Wireless is an English term that can be translated as wireless or free of wires, there are aspects that are not related to connectivity as the sound waves used by some monitoring systems are also considered wireless.
Wireless and Wifi
People who do not work in information technology constantly confuse wireless networks with Wifi.
Wifi is one of several technologies within the category of wireless networks, there are other types of technologies intended to provide coverage through the use of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Classification of wireless networks
Wireless networks are usually classified according to their size, this involves various communication protocols and related technologies.
WPAN
It means Wireless Personal Area Network for its translation: Wireless network for personal use. For these low frequency networks that require security with low data sending rate and efficiency in the use of batteries.
This type of network uses two main technologies: Zigbee and Bluetooth. WPAN has not had much impact on information technologies except for some personal use equipment such as wireless keyboards, speakers and hearing aids.
WMAN
Means Wireless Metropolitan Area Network, is designed to connect several buildings wirelessly, you can use two technologies:
LMDS
It employs high frequency links, allowing the signal to arrive despite the rugged geography.
Wimax
A process similar to Wifi with which greater coverage and bandwidth is achieved through fiber-optic driven microwave waves.
The main difference between these two technologies is that LMDS and Wilmax is that the latter lowers costs by connecting another device to the antenna that transmits the Internet signal. The technological advantage of Wilmax is that it claims to be more resistant to changes in climate than LMDS.
WLAN
It stands for Wireless Local Area Network: no longer defined as an area for personal use, but capable of connecting several individuals, a modern office is the example of WLAN.
The most commonly used technology in a local area network is Wifi, which provides a connection to the Internet. Nowadays WLAN is the most used technology at a business level for different productive sectors such as connectivity spaces in public areas.
Wifi currently represents a series of challenges and precautions that organizations must take into consideration before being able to implement solutions linked to this type of network.
The most vulnerable wireless networks
At the level of cybersecurity we must be aware that the most popular medium or system is the most attacked.
We have seen how in the world of mobile devices Android is usually the most attacked, because it is more used than IOs and at the level of desktop operating systems Windows is more attacked than MAC.
With this we do not want to enter into a favorable discussion or advertising for Apple, but to make clear the idea that the more popular a system is, the greater the likelihood of being attacked.
In this way, the wireless network that generates most concern is the one that uses wifi technology, either to share information between devices in a work area or to provide connectivity services to visitors.
Wifi network attacks
An attack using wireless networks is often worrying, in case of attacking workers who use the network constantly, in the case of our guests, say the public network of a cafe or an airport we put at risk the data security of a large number of customers.
Man in the Middle
Translated as a go-between attack, it is achieved when an attacker manages to get into the communication between two computers. One of the forms of this type of attack is to carry out the attack between the router and a user of the wifi network.
Fortinet’s recommendation against these Wifi threats is to keep a team of IT trained in wireless networks and updated its Wifi protocol to the latest version: WPA3.
Dragon blood
Even with updated protocols, there are still forms of hacking. Dragonblood was discovered in April 2019 as an attack that leads the user to forms of information recovery where he or she is exposed to hacking and password theft.
Wireless network security is guaranteed
The different wireless networks are an opportunity to improve the connectivity of the companies and in multiple occasions to improve the productivity: be that it requires to connect several headquarters or to implement solutions in cloud, the wireless networks are part of a connected world and to the new needs of workers and users.
Implement efficient, managed wifi to keep your visitors’ data secure and your employees’ workflow uninterrupted.