Just like a wired network, a WLAN requires a comprehensive security solution to guard against intruders and hackers. The required defenses are completely different because a WLAN's vulnerabilities are in the air. The airwaves surrounding a WLAN must be constantly monitored and protected to ensure the security of enterprise wireless LANs.

The AirDefense solution is designed to provide total wireless protection, regardless of location. The system provides centralized visibility and control of the enterprise air space as well as all mobile wireless devices. It actively protects the enterprise infrastructure against all know and unknown wireless threats and extends this protection to mobile laptops even when they are outside the secure enterprise perimeter. In addition, the system can be used for centralized policy enforcement and compliance management.

AirDefense secures enterprise WLANs by:

		Identifying security risks, such as rogues & unencrypted traffic
		Real-time monitoring of the network to identify impending threats
		Detecting and preventing intruders by quickly eliminating the threats
		Enforcing corporate WLAN policy to maximize security and performance
		Providing fault diagnostics and performance monitoring to aid network mgmt

The AirDefense system provides the capability to test the effectiveness of the wireless security policy and report on incidents, serving as a valuable tool for security audits as part of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.

Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 compliance is a requirement for all publicly traded US companies. The CIO and IT management have critical responsibility for the effectiveness of internal IT control of the financial reporting process. In the short term this will increase the workload on the IT department, however, at the same time it may provide the justification for an increase in resources to address security issues. An important component of effective internal control is wireless security to ensure confidentiality and integrity of corporate, financial, and customer data. The AirDefense system along with wireless security policies and procedures that are properly managed, can assist with maintenance of internal controls and ensure an ongoing, effective compliance program.