Draft Guide Will Help Make WLANs More Secure

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is requesting comments on a new draft guide that is intended to help organizations make wireless local area networks (WLAN) more secure. The draft document, Guide to IEEE 802.11i: Robust Security Networks, explains the security features of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' 802.11i standard and provides specific recommendations to ensure the security of the WLAN operating environment. The previous IEEE 802.11 security method, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), has several well-documented security deficiencies. IEEE 802.11i introduces a range of new security features that are designed to overcome the shortcomings of WEP. The document complements, but does not replace, NIST Special Publication 800-48, Wireless Network Security: 802.11, Bluetooth and Handheld Devices.

Special Publication 800-97, Guide to IEEE 802.11i: Robust Security Networks is available at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/
drafts.html#sp800-97. Send comments by July 7, 2006, to 800-97comment@nist.gov with "Comments SP800-97/802.11i" in the subject line.