Part 1: Once physical access is obtained by an intruder all security is lost is true because physical access provides an entry even to a reasonable expert to hack and gain access to the network, unencrypted terminals and servers. Wireless networks have not completely decreased the need for hackers to gain physical intrusion as there are vulnerabilities as similar to the wired networks. The systems are exposed to negative forces due to the lack of proper safeguards, as in the case of wireless LANs . Comparing wireless vs. wired security, it is vital to secure a wireless network than to secure a wired network because gaining access to a wireless network does not involve physical access to a network jack or cable, as in a wired network. As part of the senior level management I would install WPA security on the network for the wireless network security, as it is more reliant for secured connectivity issues between the wireless systems and corporate network.
Part 2: The most common threat to Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) are the attacks carried out by an intruder to compromise data in an organization. The other threat to WLAN is data interception as data sent over Wi-Fi can be seen by observers. WLAN uses radio frequencies for communication that is more prone to attacks. Use of strong encryption standards protect WLANs from the worst threats, and is advised to enable Wi-Fi protected access WPA/WPA2 rather than WEP . Data interception can be controlled by providing Wi-Fi certification to the products to support AES-CCMP data encryption and integrity. A threat to the security control can be because of a poorly arranged or illicit access point as the security controls and encryptions are switched off in some access points. As an Information Technology Security Director I believe the threats to the WLAN are to be considered and the cost of the central controller along with the enterprise class security must be analyzed during estimation.
References
SANS Institute. (2005, February 6). Security Vulnerabilities and Wireless LAN Technology. Retrieved from www.sans.org: https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/wireless/security-vulnerabilities-wireless-lan-technology-1629.
Waliullah, M., & Gan, D. (2014). Wireless LAN Security Threats & Vulnerabilities. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 5(1), 176-183. Retrieved from https://thesai.org/Downloads/Volume5No1/Paper_25-Wireless_LAN_Security_Threats_Vulnerabilities.pdf.
