Computersight -

When it comes to physical location and placement that old saying “location, location, it’s all about the location” is perhaps more poignant now than ever before particularly when it comes to physical security. “Out of sight, out of mind” is another adage that bears particular weight in regards to physical security.

How the physical location and placement of your assets relates to their physical security and well-being is where we will take up the story now.

Physical Location and Placement

The first factor that we need to consider is the element known as the “general public”. It is here that we need to review the first two rules of location and placement.

1. The first rule of location and placement tells us to whenever and wherever possible locate devices and infrastructure where the public cannot gain free access to them
2. The second rule of location and placement states that if infrastructure and core components must pass through a publicly accessible location then keep them out of sight

Wireless Access Points (WAP) Location and Placement

The location and placement of Wireless Access Points (WAP) is a case where this rule needs heeding. Many a good WAP has mysteriously gone walk-about and never seen again.

If you have no other choice but to place a WAP in a publically accessible location there are a number of tricks that you can employ to help ensure that the WAP stays put. If the WAP is not readily visible then it is likely that the temptation to “borrow” it will not present itself to the majority of the public.

Physical Security, Location and Placement

One way of increasing the physical security of devices in insecure locations is through careful and cunning placement. Ways of doing this include the placement of the WAP inside a camouflaged container that is porous to radio frequency signals in the Wireless Access Point’s (WAP) frequency range.

I have seen numerous “pot plant containers” used in this way. False speaker fronts also work very well. I have also seen numerous instances of fake security cameras used to camouflage the location and precise placement of wireless access points. Bit of a double-edged sword that one. A false camera to make the public think they are being video taped and a hiding place for the WAP.

The majority of materials used in the construction of suspended ceilings are also porous to the frequency ranges used by the average WAP. Place the WAP with a directional or bidirectional antennae in the ceiling, as the radio signals will pass through the ceiling materials unhindered. This definitely counts as a more secure location.

Using a WAP with a directional antenna ensures that only those signals transmitted and received from below are within the range of your WAP. This doubles as a good energy saving tactic that also reduces signal leakage and so helps reduce your wireless network’s exposure and liability to “freeloaders” and hackers alike.

An additional benefit of locating a WAP in the ceiling is that if it is placed in the center of the ceiling then for rooms whose walls do not exceed the radius of the wireless access point’s (WAP) primary (highest bandwidth) zone can all be covered by just the one WAP.

Physical Security, Location and Placement Documentation

Documenting the location and placement of all peripherals such as a Wireless Access Point (WAP) is essential. Do not forget to name them correctly. For example, you could name the WAP CR1CW1, which might stand for Coffee Room 1 Ceiling Wireless access point 1. For more about naming see the following article: Building Your Own Naming Convention

Location and Placement – Weighing the Fiscal Benefits

Another point to consider here is the overall benefit gained by hiding the WAP from view. This may cause you to need to install additional Wireless Access Points (WAP), if required in order to achieve the desired coverage and Quality of Service (QoS).

The other alternative is to end up replacing missing WAPs on a regular basis as and when they go missing.

The trick is to balance these two strategies from a fiscal point of view and adopt the option that achieves the majority of the goals that the deployment was implemented to provide. Never forget the reasons that you undertook the original expenditure.

If the implementation was justified and worthy then these goals will still hold true for quite some time after the implementation phase is complete. Factors such as Quality of Service (QoS) that were so important in the original planning, design and implementation stages still carry great weight now. If not then you must seriously reconsider why you even bothered.

Secure Fixing, Location and Placement

Once the location and placement of the Wireless Access Points (WAP) is under control it is time to ensure that their points of attachment are firm and secure. This is essential not just from the going AWOL perspective but from the preferred placement and antenna direction perspective to ensure the WAP delivers its services as planned and without undue signal leakage.

The location and placement of many other key network infrastructure components need viewing in this light as well. Cabling and workgroup access switches being two of the more prominent components in the category of easily removed or otherwise interfered with devices.

Secure fixing is often the only option for the workgroup switch but the cabling is easier to locate behind walls, in conduit and in wiring closets to protect it from untoward events. With that, we will conclude our discussion of the physical security aspects of devices and infrastructure that have a location and placement that is inherently insecure (public Places).

We can now begin to look at the location and placement of core networking and communications devices and core infrastructure and devices. This is where the story continues in the next article “Core Components”. Until then enjoy!