Symbol Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:SBL) today introduced its mobile security architecture for the deployment of multiple wireless computing devices over 802.11b wireless local area networks (LAN). The security system, based on the Kerberos protocol, has been implemented into Spectrum24(R) wireless LANs to provide robust security, uninterrupted network connectivity for voice and data devices and addresses the security needs and concerns of network managers.
Kerberos is a widely deployed security protocol that was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to authenticate users and clients in a wired network environment and to securely distribute encryption keys. Kerberos provides both user authentication and encryption key management to guard wired networks from all forms of attacks on data in transmission, including, interruption, interception, modification, and fabrication. This security system, part of Symbol's Spectrum24 High Rate release 2.5 firmware upgrade, is geared towards the mobile enterprise fabric of 802.11b wireless VoIP handsets, enabled PDAs, handheld mobile computing devices, and Laptops.
"Since the IEEE 802.11b standard was ratified, Symbol has been working to develop the best wireless mobility security scheme for workers on the move," said Ray Martino, Vice President of Network Products, Symbol Technologies, Inc. "Kerberos is a proven architecture that builds on existing security schemes and is best suited for mobility environments where users need to connect wirelessly to the network from a variety of different voice and data devices."
Symbol engineers have been active participants in the IEEE 802.11e (task group E), with representatives from Intel Corporation, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and others, working to develop the standard for wireless LAN security. In the task group's current working draft of the standard, Kerberos was voted as the "mandatory-to-implement" security service for authentication and encryption key management.
Unique advantages of Kerberos include:
-- Provides all levels of standard security services, including, Confidentiality, Authentication, Integrity, Access Control, and Availability
-- Ensures preemptive roaming between access points resulting in uninterrupted application connectivity.
-- Re-authentication to the network takes less than 40 milliseconds.
-- Kerberos is a standard based security service (RFC-1510) supported by Windows 2000, Linux, and Windows platforms.
The Kerberos based system will be the standard security mechanism in Symbol's Spectrum24 family of wireless LAN products and OEM offerings. The product will be available for existing products through software upgrades and will ship in the next generation of Spectrum24 wireless LANs. Symbol's implementation of Kerberos currently runs on Windows 2000 and will support Linux, Solaris, SCO Unixware, and HP-UZ platforms in future software versions.
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