Network Validation: Everything You Need to Know
What does network validation mean? Put simply, without the jargon, it means ensuring your secure wireless network is trustworthy. Network validation lets you predict failures or faults before they occur, understand the reasoning behind any that do happen, and diagnose unexpected or unusual network behaviour.
Many IT departments rely on reactive behaviour when it comes to managed network security and validation — waiting for a failure to occur, sourcing the solution, fixing it, and leaving the issue there. In today's environment, where nearly everything runs through your network, it's best practice to act proactively instead. Network validation requires understanding not just your wireless network security, but your overall network: who can access it, and how.
Authentication methods
Wireless network authentication methods are the first step in validating your network and building confidence in your wireless security. There are three main authentication methods used in network security:
1. Open Authentication: The simplest method, requiring only that the end device knows the SSID. Its drawback is that the SSID is usually broadcast, making it less secure.
2. Shared Authentication: Commonly used by small businesses and individuals, this method uses a shared key that gives both sides a connection, with the device only allowed to connect if the key matches.
3. EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) Authentication: Used frequently by large businesses and enterprises, and generally considered the strongest method. EAP uses an authentication server queried using a wide range of credential options before allowing a device to connect.
Ensuring the right device authentication protocol is in place is a vital step in wireless network data security. Open authentication is the simplest and most commonly used, shared authentication suits individuals and small businesses, and EAP suits enterprises. Network Consultancy can advise not only on which authentication method to use, but also on VPN configuration, firewalls, and hardware installation to ensure the best security for wireless networks.
Why regular auditing matters
To move beyond reactive wireless network security, it's beneficial to conduct a network audit — an analysis of all the ins and outs of your wireless network security. This helps identify where potential faults could stem from and how to prevent them, ensuring less downtime and a more stress-free operation.
A network audit alone isn't a one-stop solution to ensuring your network stays validated. To keep your network continuously validated, you need to continuously check it — from the overall health of the network, software and hardware, to those using it. This can become a costly exercise for a business to run alone, which is why partnering with Network Consultancy can prove a cost-effective, long-term solution.