CPA's Guide to Wireless Technology and Networking
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University of Mississippi eGrove American Institute of Certified Public Guides, Handbooks and Manuals Accountants (AICPA) Historical Collection 1-1-2005 CPA's guide to wireless technology and networking Michael R. Dickson American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Information echnologyT Section Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_guides Part of the Accounting Commons, and the Taxation Commons Recommended Citation Dickson, Michael R. and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Information echnologyT Section, "CPA's guide to wireless technology and networking" (2005). Guides, Handbooks and Manuals. 304. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_guides/304 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Historical Collection at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Guides, Handbooks and Manuals by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A m erican In stitu te of C ertified P ublic A c c o u n t a n t s Information to Wireless A CPA’s Guide Technology and and Networking Technology Section Michael R. Dickson, CPA, CITP IT Section Information Technology Section A CPA’s Guide to Wireless Technology and Networking Michael R. Dickson, CPA, CITP Notice to Readers A CPA’s Guide to Wireless Technology and Networking does not rep- resent an official position of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and it is distributed with the understanding that the author and the publisher are not rendering accounting or other professional services in the publication. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Disclaimer A CPA’s Guide to Wireless Technology and Networking (the Guide) has been developed to educate CPAs about the benefits and risks of using wireless technologies in their home offices, public places, and throughout their business enterprises. CPAs can leverage this knowledge as they consult with clients or help to understand and improve the use of wireless technology in their companies or or- ganizations. The products, standards, and practices referred to in this Guide are based on the author’s knowledge and experience, as of spring 2005, but these references are not recommendations for products or endorsements by either the AICPA or the author. In all matters regarding this Guide, it is recommended that read- ers consult experienced technical and administrative personnel for current recommendations, guidance, and assistance in imple- mentation based on their specific needs and requirements. The Guide does not represent an official position of the AICPA, and it is distributed with the understanding that the author and the publisher are not rendering accounting or other professional services in the publication. If legal advice or other expert assis- tance is required, the services of competent professionals should be sought. Copyright © 2005 by American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. New York, NY 10036-8775 All rights reserved. For information about the procedure for requesting permission to make copies of any part of this work, please visit www.aicpa.org. A Permissions Request Form for e-mailing requests and information on fees are available there by clicking on the copyright notice at the foot of the AICPA homepage. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 MI 0 9 8 7 6 5 About the Author Michael R. Dickson, CPA, CITP, is a Technology Consulting and Solutions Practice Manager in the Southfield, MI office of Plante & Moran, PLLC. Mike’s practice areas include IT assessment and assurance, secu- rity, and regulatory matters and compliance associated with Sar- banes-Oxley, HIPAA, and GLBA. Mike is currently the chairman of the American Institute of Cer- tified Public Accountants (AICPA) Certified Information Tech- nology Professional (CITP) Credential Committee and a member of the AICPA Information Technology Executive Com- mittee. He is also a member of the AICPA governing Council and served as the 2003-2004 Chairman of the Executive Board for the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants. In September 2004, Mike was named by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in accounting. Mike is a frequent speaker and author on technology topics in- cluding systems reliability, information systems security, Sar- banes-Oxley, and independence issues related to technology services for attest clients. iii Table of Contents Introduction............................................................................1 Wireless Technology Overview ..............................................4 Wireless Radio Frequencies...................................................4 Wireless Networks..................................................................5 Wireless Personal Area Networks................................................6 Wireless Local Area Networks .....................................................6 Wireless Wide Area Networks....................................................11 Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks......................................12 Wireless Devices ...................................................................12 Personal Digital Assistants..........................................................13 Smartphones..................................................................................14 Wireless Adapters for Computers..............................................15 Setting Up a Home Office or Small Business Wireless Network.............................................................................18 Wireless Standards................................................................20 Infrared ..........................................................................................20 Bluetooth .......................................................................................22 802.11 .............................................................................................24 Wireless Cellular Standards ..................................................27 CDMA............................................................................................27 Satellite..................................................................................28 Wireless Network Security ...................................................29 Unauthorized Access ...................................................................30 Data Transmissions Easily Intercepted.....................................30 Denial of Service Attacks ...........................................................31 Unauthorized Access Points.......................................................31 Loss or Theft of Wireless Devices............................................32 Securing Your Wireless Network..........................................33 Securing an 802.11 WLAN .........................................................33 v Wireless Encryption Protocols .............................................36 Wired Equivalent Privacy............................................................37 Virtual Private Networks.............................................................38 Wi-Fi Protected Access ...............................................................39 Securing a Bluetooth WPAN ................................................40 Wireless Technology Resources ...........................................42 Appendix A—Glossary .........................................................43 Appendix B—Common Wireless Frequencies and Related Applications.........................................................59 Appendix C—802.11 Wireless Frequency, Speed, and Distance ............................................................................61 Appendix D—Other Communication Standards.................64 TDMA............................................................................................64 PCS .................................................................................................64 GSM ...............................................................................................64 GPRS..............................................................................................65 EDGE............................................................................................65 3GSM .............................................................................................66 Appendix E—The Generations of Mobile Technology.......67 1G ...................................................................................................67 2G ...................................................................................................67 2.5G ................................................................................................68 3G ...................................................................................................68 Appendix F—Journal of Accountancy Articles.............................71 “Ready to Pull the Plug”......................................................73 “Carry Your Office in the Palm of Your Hand”....................76 “Install Your Own Wireless Network” .................................81 vi Introduction Wireless technologies exist all around us and they open up new ways to communicate and work. The television remote control was among the first applications affecting lifestyle. Do you re- member your first cordless telephone? Remember how it enabled you to move beyond the end