Native Wi-Fi WLAN Security (Windows CE 5.0)
Due to the nature of wireless LAN networks, implementing a security infrastructure that monitors physical access to the network is difficult. Unlike a wired network where a physical connection is required, anyone within range of a wireless AP can send and receive frames, and listen for other frames being sent. Therefore, eavesdropping and remote sniffing of wireless LAN frames are possible.
Best Practices
Use encryption for your data
If your wireless network does not support Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), use Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) to protect your data. For more information, see 802.11 Encryption with Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP).
Because WPA offers enhanced security over WEP, use WPA if your wireless network supports this security technology. WPA requires encryption by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). TKIP replaces WEP with an encryption algorithm that is stronger than the WEP algorithm and uses the calculation technologies present on existing wireless devices to perform encryption operations.
For more information about how to protect your data in a wireless network, see Wireless Security.
Default Registry Settings
You should be aware of the registry settings that impact security. If a value has security implications, you will find a Security Note in the registry settings documentation.
For Native Wi-Fi WLAN registry information, see Native Wi-Fi WLAN Registry Settings.
See Also
Native Wi-Fi WLAN | Enhancing the Security of a Device
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