Clever Alternative To Radio Jammers

While the intent of protecting WiFi users from external untrusted environment is laudable, radio jamming is not only a wrong choice, it is illegal. However, this understanding is not common even among experienced IT Administrators. Radio jamming is best left to the military and telecommunication people and should be used only for the highest security requirements such as border areas, or say prime minister’s security. Civilian usage is generally not permitted. Radio jamming of WiFi can violate WiFi regulatory guidelines in most countries. However, it’s surprising that most people including networking technocrats don't know that radio jamming is not permitted.

It is therefore necessary to explore if alternate ways exist to solve this problem. In case of a school, children will use school computers that use wired networking to access internet. Firewalls and content filtering technologies exist and should ensure that using a school computer is safe. These days most end user devices be it a laptop, a tablet or a smartphone today are equipped with wireless (WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, 4G, etc.) but don’t have wired networking ports. Further, WiFi has emerged as the de-facto end user connection mechanism at home, work place, schools, colleges, public places like shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and even buses, trains and airplanes. It is affordable and provides high speeds.

Schools can install what I would call as Secure WiFi technology where end users with only proper authentication can access internal network, wired or WiFi which is available today. Secondly, communication between end user devices and internet is encrypted with state of the art encryption technology. All WiFi products incorporate this technology today. The end users can not access any network other than authorized network of the organization. There may be open WiFi networks in the neighbourhood. However, end user devices are automatically prevented from accessing external untrusted WiFi networks. As also, WiFi scanning, detection and prevention technology (called Wireless Intrusion Prevention System or simply put WIPS) is used to enforce and also to protect organization’s network from other WiFi based attacks. Finally, installation of WiFi access points without the permission of IT Administration can also create vulnerabilities. These devices commonly termed rogue APs can open a backdoor into the authorized network for untrusted external users.

All scenarios described above are depicted in the picture below and can be handled by Secure WiFi technology.

Given the WiFi state of the art today, anyone with nation-wide system of schools can install a console at a central location that can manage Secure WiFi devices in all schools. This console will set WiFi security policy and monitor the entire system including all children devices when in school. Many schools block children from bringing their phone to school and for the right reasons. However, even if schools were to allow this, Secure WiFi technology will ensure that such devices are safe.

Kiran Deshpande

Guest Author With more than three decades of professional work experience in various domains, viz, technology, business leadership, entrepreneurial experience in the industry, Kiran Deshpande, is currently co-founder and president of Mojo Networks (then known as AirTight Networks), a venture-funded leading supplier of massively scalable Cloud Managed Secure Wi-Fi technology. He is also the president of TiE Pune (been Chartered Member since 2009).