In recent years, IT experts have put a lot of emphasis on the importance of properly securing wireless networks. In fact, while the message has gone over well for wireless, this is far from the case for wired networks as most companies continue to neglect the protection of their LAN network. Companies are unknowingly at increased risk of being attacked or having their sensitive data accessible to anyone with a network connection at their disposal. 

Take for example your residential WiFi access. You most likely need a password to connect to the Internet. However, if you connect your workstation directly to your router, authentication is no longer necessary and you have immediate access to your network. This is exactly the same principle for companies. Remote access to the network is secure, but the wired entry doors within the building are unlocked when companies do not impose some form of authentication before a user can connect to the network.  

And even when companies use wired network authentication, traditional network access control (NAC) solutions often have only partial integration with mobility and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) models. 

Businesses have wired and wireless networks, but often lack a global security management and policy platform. As the number of mobile devices has soared, IT is finding it increasingly difficult to enforce enterprise security in today's complex IT infrastructure while providing a seamless user experience. 

Fortunately, the new Cloudpath software, developed by Ruckus, finally offers a simple solution to wired security issues.

Manage the wired network as a wireless network 

Still today, cabling is the most efficient and straightforward way to access a network. But, companies that use a wired network alongside their wireless technology often live with a false sense of security. It is not because access to the network is inside the walls of a building that it is safer. 

Ruckus solves this problem with the Cloudpath application that provides wired networks with all the benefits of a wireless security solution. To connect via a wired connection, the user must now authenticate as they would during a wireless connection. Access, functions and information available to each user are therefore pre-established according to specific parameters that the network administrator has configured.

3 key benefits of the Ruckus Cloudpath application 

Cloudpath is an application with multiple functions, the main one being to improve the security of IT systems inside and outside the walls of a company. Cloudpath software acts as a single point of control for wired, wireless, and remote access security policies. 

Here are 3 important points to consider:

1. A perfectly sealed network

No user (internal or external) can connect or have access to the network if the manager has not previously authorized it. Authentication based on many parameters, including the workstation used, is possible. This protects the network from unwanted entries, whether they are made with or without a cable. 

2. Flexible access

The network administrator can provide different types of access depending on the authority level of the user or the time allocated to the user. It can issue a certificate of use for a specific period and thus control the information to which a visitor has access. The application also controls bandwidth to maintain optimal connectivity at the most critical locations.

3. Business Intelligence

Connecting to your network is a privilege and wireless access has made it possible to get benefits from that . By offering, for example, the opportunity to connect via various social media, Facebook in particular, companies are able to obtain valuable data about their customers. The Ruckus application now provides the same benefits to companies that provide a wired connection, allowing for more data and statistic acquisition.

Conclusion

The investment in this security solution is amply justified by the increasingly pressing threats that companies face regarding the security of their data. By simply asking, "If someone plugs into one of your network jacks, does he have access to your IT environment?”, you will see how evident and striking the answer is and that it requires action.

Security begins at the access level.