User guide

Odyssey Access Client User Guide
94  Network Security
 IPsec is a set of protocols used to secure (encrypt) IP data packets being
exchanged on a network. Best practices for network security usually call for
encrypting the data being transferred between protected network resources
and endpoint computers. A Juniper UAC network can include a firewall that
provides an IPsec gateway deployed in front of protected resources to enforce
the security policy. Odyssey Access Client supports IPsec encryption as part of
conforming to that policy.
Encryption and Association for Secure Authentication
To establish a wireless connection with an access point, a wireless client must
associate with the access point. For a wireless client device to access a secure
network, the user of the client device must be authenticated by the network. The
following list briefly defines terminology necessary to understand association, data
encryption, and authentication:
 Association is the method by which a client establishes a relationship with an
access point.
 Data encryption is used to secure data that is exchanged between a client
device and an access point (or another computer device).
 Encryption keys are a sequence of characters that an encryption algorithm uses
make plain text unreadable unless you share the encryption keys to decode the
encrypted message. Encryption keys are key components of data encryption
algorithms. Encryption keys might also be used for access point association.
 Once a wireless client has associated with an access point, the user of that
client device can be authenticated to the network. Authentication is used to
secure the relationship between a user of a wireless-equipped computer device
and an authentication server. For example, wireless network authentication that
is based on the 802.1X standard can use cryptographically strong (and
dynamically generated) encryption keys.
Authentication Overview
There are several methods for providing secure authentication over a wireless
network. Each method requires data encryption and, consequently, requires some
method for specifying or generating encryption keys. Some of these methods are
known to be more secure than others:
 Preconfigured secrets, called WEP (wired-equivalent privacy) keys. These keys
are intended to encrypt the data transferred between the client and the access
point and can be used to keep unauthorized users off the wireless network and
to encrypt the data of legitimate users. See “Wired-Equivalent Privacy” on
page 97 for a description of WEP-based encryption that complies with 802.11
standards.