Boston, MA - April 15, 2003- Newbury Networks Inc., the first and only supplier of 802.11-based Location-Enabled Network(tm) solutions (LENs), today announced the WiFi Watchdog Standard Edition(tm) packaged software solution for rapidly securing enterprise networks, both wired and wireless, against wireless intruders.
This new WiFi Watchdog edition offers a quick, out-of-the-box application for enterprises desiring to secure their mission-critical networks immediately. WiFi Watchdog Standard Edition includes easy-to-use documentation and Newbury's LocalePoints - the industry's first WiFi monitoring devices (access points) for passively detecting all 802.11b traffic regardless of manufacturer or channel. For larger enterprise deployments, Newbury offers its traditional WiFi Watchdog(tm) specialized application.
WiFi Watchdog Standard Edition is a non-intrusive, server-based application that seamlessly works with any standard wireless LAN (WLAN) implementation to detect the location of all 802.11b traffic within range of the network, identifying authorized or unauthorized devices and rogue access points, and then alerting IT personnel of these potential intruder actions. It integrates Newbury Networks' award winning LocaleServer(tm) platform and LocalePoint(tm) appliances to deliver the first step in any enterprises deployment of 802.11 systems, from corporate-wide WLAN to departmental usage of WiFi enabled laptops and PDAs.
"In light of the overwhelming interest in 802.11-based wireless LANs and the recent introduction of the new Intel Centrino chipsets, enterprise networks are at their most vulnerable levels," said Michael Maggio, president and CEO for Newbury Networks. "The first step in securing networks against wireless intrusion is to identify and detect the vulnerabilities before an unauthorized user can exploit critical data. With this new WiFi Watchdog Standard Edition, organizations can quickly leverage our industry-leading location-enabled technology to immediately identify and cut-off any and all unauthorized use by intruders before the network is exposed."
WiFi Watchdog Standard Edition addresses and solves some of the unique network security breaches common in today's enterprise settings:
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Rogue Access Points- off-the-shelf access points connected to an open port on the wired network can broadcast and expose critical company data and sensitive information to anyone with an 802.11 client device - authorized or unauthorized.
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Ad-Hoc Mode- while ad hoc mode on a laptop is useful for spontaneously creating a WLAN in a peer-to-peer environment, it often opens a gateway to data on a user's laptop and the network to which the laptop is connected.
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Connection Hijacking- similar to the rogue access point example, a hijacker can connect an access point to his laptop with DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) bridging but with no WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) turned on and create havoc on an internal network.
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Man-In-The-Middle Attacks-through the use of 802.11 analyzers, anyone can monitor 802.11 frames sent over WLANs and easily fool the network through various "man-in-the-middle" attacks. Intruders can simply force an authorized user's 802.11 signal to re-associate with a rogue access point and expose sensitive user names, passwords and even network data.
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Neighborhood Nuisance- when a laptop is connected to a wired network but the wireless card on that laptop also automatically connects to an access point from a neighboring business, an intruder can easily bridge a connection between the laptop and the network it's tied to through basic system utilities in most common operating systems.
"One of the most effective ways to prevent unauthorized access to a wireless network and minimize destructive threats is to detect and quickly identify possible intrusions," said Tim Scannell, president, Shoreline Research. "Newbury's new location-based security products offer effective and immediate detection and monitoring safeguards that can be used to secure the network from initial pilot stages to company-wide deployments."
WiFi Watchdog Standard Edition's key features include the following:
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Live Monitoring- WiFi Watchdog Standard Edition is equipped with a real time monitoring "dashboard" so network administrators can visualize all user or device traffic. This providesunprecedented security capabilities by first pinpointing potential unknown users' physical locations to facilitate granting or denying access based on their profiles.
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Intrusion Detection System- Whenever a device or user is identified in a WLAN environment, the solution immediately determines if it's an unknown "intruder." Once this intruder is flagged, automatically triggers an alert containing the location, device information and user profile to the network or system administrator to take action.
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Rogue Access Point and Ad Hoc Mode Detection- Using similar identification patterns from the Intrusion Detection System, WiFi Watchdog Standard Edition helps IT professionals quickly and easily locate and target rogue access points or systems in ad hoc mode - a key source of WLAN security breaches - down to exactly where they reside in or outside the building.
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Path and Pattern Reporting- WiFi Watchdog Standard Edition includes useful reporting and analysis tools to assist IT professionals in identifying patterns highlighting unsecured areas, strangers or undesirable guests all by location over a WLAN.
WiFi Watchdog Standard Edition is available immediately and is priced at $9,995. The package includes a WiFi Watchdog User's Guide, 4 LocalePoints and the WiFi Watchdog Standard Edition software.
WiFi Watchdog Standard Editions will be demonstrated in an upcoming Newbury Networks free interactive webcast, "Securing WLANs with Location-Based Intrusion Detection" on April 17, 2003, at 2:00 pm EST. Further information on the webcast and registration details are available at www.newburynetworks.com/events.
Newbury Networks (www.newburynetworks.com) is the first and only supplier of Location-Enabled Networks, which enable IT professionals at enterprises, public hotspots, universities and museums to manage and secure WLANs by location. Newbury's core application platform, LocaleServer provides a superior user experience, allows for improved security and management of WLAN space and enhances revenue opportunities. Newbury also offers specialized packaged applications for organizations to rapidly enable location-based applications for security, hotspot management, monitoring and analysis, and digital tours.
Unlike traditional network management solutions, Newbury's products provide capabilities for managing WLANs by location - ultimately resulting in enhanced security and system performance. And unlike other location-based offerings, its server-based approach enables content and network provisioning, tracking, monitoring, logging and analysis. Newbury Networks was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Boston.
