N+I: Security news focuses on wireless, Web services

A host of new products promising to secure wireless networks and Web services deployments will be on prominent display in Las Vegas this week as the NetWorld+Interop 2003 (N+I) show kicks off.

N+I highlights networking technologies for enterprises and runs from April 27 through May 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, bringing together many of the world's biggest technology vendors with representatives from industry, government, and military, according to Key3Media Group, which runs the show.

With the rapid adoption of wireless LAN technology in homes and enterprises, a number of companies are exhibiting products that strengthen the security of wireless LANs, a top concern for attendees at this year's show, according to Key3Media.

In an announcement with a significant impact on the burgeoning wireless technology industry, the Wi-Fi Alliance said on Thursday that it would use the N+I show in Las Vegas to unveil its latest certification for wireless LAN devices, WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access).

WPA is intended to replace the widely deployed WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) security technology, which was found to have weaknesses that made products using WEP vulnerable to attack.

WPA is a specification covering security features that increase data protection and access control on wireless LANs while ensuring interoperability among different wireless hardware and software, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance. It includes technology borrowed from the as-yet unreleased 802.11i wireless security standard and will be able to run on existing 802.11a and 802.11b hardware as a software upgrade, according to the Alliance.

The group will announce on Tuesday the first products it has certified as WPA-compliant. The first WPA products will be available in May, it said.

Security is a key element of several next-generation wireless LAN offerings at the show, including an integrated firewall, wireless access point, and Ethernet switch from NetGear.

The ProSafe Dual-Band Wireless VPN Firewall features a WAN (wide-area network) firewall that supports two VPN (virtual private network) tunnels. It also has an intrusion detection system that can log, report, and send e-mail alerts on attacks. Included in the device is a four-port wired Ethernet switch as well as access points for 802.11a and 802.11b and prestandard 802.11g.

One vendor squarely focused on content security, Fortinet of Santa Clara, Calif., says its products also have something to offer network administrators considering WLAN deployment, according to Richard Kagan, vice president of marketing at Fortinet.

At N+I, Fortinet will be announcing two new network security appliances.

The FortiGate 60 is a hardware appliance for small and medium-size businesses that combines VPN, firewall, and content filtering capabilities with anti-virus protection, according to Fortinet.

The device also comes with two USB ports that support USB-enabled wireless LAN access points. Network administrators can plug their access points directly into the FortiGate 60, then use the device's policy management features to set user-level authentication for specific resources or protocols, Kagan said.

The FortiGate 60 starts at $995 with a 10-user license and goes up to $1,495 with unlimited licenses for shipments in the U.S.