Wireless perimeter security device and network using same
View Patent ↗A Radio Frequency based security system for providing security for wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) that allows the creation and maintenance of arbitrarily shaped secure wireless access areas with boundaries around said wireless Local Area Network and prevents access to the said wireless LAN from outside the perimeter of the secure area. The system includes a plurality of perimeter Radio Frequency Sentry Devices (RFSDs) that are employed to establish the boundaries of said secure area around said wireless LAN. The wireless LAN being secured may be an industry standard IEEE 802.11a, 801.11b or 802.11g based wireless LAN or any other wireless LAN that uses packet based communication protocols. The said RFSDs may be stand-alone devices or they may be connected to a wired or wireless Local Area Network.
1. A security-enhanced wireless communications system comprising one or more primary wireless devices forming part of wireless local area network (WLAN), capable of communication at least in part by wireless packets, and a communications security device (CSD) for each perimeter edge of a predetermined locale, wherein each CSD is optimally placed along said respective edge to creating an invisible wall to primary devices of the WLAN and reduce excursion packet transmission detection from said WLAN to external networks, said system operative to: determine a Radio Frequency Map of network environment; determine signal strength of external networks; determine signal strength of WLAN; compare signal strengths; determine radiation patterns; and adjust antenna systems of each CSD to cloak or sanitize an affected packet.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said perimeter edge is at least two edges.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein said system further comprises a Central Controller (CC) unit in communication with each CSD, having: a control authority containing knowledge of said primary and secondary devices; a central registry, where each CSD can respectively register themselves with the CC; and a switchable communications means for enabling communicating between each CSD and said CC.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said perimeter edges, collectively, define a locale or Secured Space.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein said Secured Space is one of a physical dimension of an area having said primary and secondary devices resident therein or a locale.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said Secured Space is an area equivalent to one or more floors of a building housing said LAN.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein each CSD is a Radio Frequency Security Device (RFSD) and is positioned at a predetermined proximity to one another and in relation to said physical dimensions of said perimeter.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein said communication is bidirectional, and said WLAN has one or more access points (APs).
9. A method for determining placement of Radio Frequency Security Devices (RFSDs) within a Secured Space to creating an invisible wall to primary devices of a WLAN within said Secured Space and to reduce excursion packet transmission detection from said WLAN to external networks, said method comprising steps of: determining a Radio Frequency Map of network environment; determine signal strength of external networks; determine signal strength of WLAN; compare signal strengths; determine radiation patterns; and adjust antenna systems of each RFSD to cloak or sanitize an affected packet in response to one of a packet emitted from said WLAN or a packet emitted from said external network, which approaches and traverses said perimeter.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising steps of: identifying one or more external wireless networks to the WLAN; identifying said external wireless networks with respect to location of proximity perimeter of WLAN; identifying signal strength of said one or more identified external wireless networks; and arranging antenna systems of predetermined RFSDs to cause wireless traffic of said one or more external wireless networks to be undetectable by WLAN.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising steps of: identifying one or more external wireless networks to the WLAN; identifying said external wireless networks with respect to location of proximity perimeter of WLAN; identifying signal strength of said one or more identified external wireless networks; and arranging antenna systems of predetermined RFSDs to cause wireless traffic of WLAN to be undetectable by said one or more external wireless networks.
12. The method of claim 9 , The method of claim 9 further comprising steps of: identifying one or more external wireless networks to the WLAN; identifying said external wireless networks with respect to location of proximity perimeter of WLAN; identifying signal strength of said one or more identified external wireless networks; arranging antenna systems of predetermined RFSDs to cause wireless traffic of an identified affected packet to be undetectable in relation to its trajectory across said edge; and re-evaluating signal strength in response to said antenna arrangement.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said system further comprises a Central Controller (CC) unit in communication with each of said two RFSDs having: a control authority containing knowledge of said primary and secondary devices; a central registry, where each of said RFSDs can respectively register themselves with the CC; and a switchable communications means for enabling communicating between each of said RFSDs and said CC.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein communication between said CC and each RFSD is bidirectional.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said RFSDs comprise a transmission means for transmitting data across the WLAN and LAN, a receiver means for receiving data across the WLAN and LAN, a controller means for controller the RFSDs, respectively, across the WLAN and LAN, a power means for powering said RFSDs singly or collectively, and a directionally steerable communication means for enabling effective communications of RFSDs across the WLAN and LAN.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein each RFSD comprises: an antenna system which has a capability to determine signal strength comparisons at high speeds; a capability to determine Time of Difference of Arrival (TDOA) comparisons at high speeds; and a capability to determine phase difference measurements at high speeds.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein each antenna system comprises: a plurality of directional antennas facing in the same direction.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein said antennas are of the types but not limited to Parabolic, Yagi, Patch, Quad, Bi-Quad, Dish, Collinear, Vertical, Dipole and Phased Arrays.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising step of: tuning said Secured Space by using at least one of said two or more RFSDs to transmit a first signal to another of said two or more RFSDs whereby others of said two or more RFSDs receive transmission of said first signal to determine radio frequency characteristics of said Secured Space and any of said external wireless networks.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein at least one of said RFSDs includes a Radio Frequency Detection Unit (RDF).
21. The method of claim 20 further comprising steps of identifying a packet from an external wireless network approaching said perimeter.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein said transmitted altered wireless packet is transmitted towards said WLAN.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein said transmitted altered wireless packet is transmitted away from said WLAN.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein said perimeter is equivalent to an area of one or more floors of a building or locale.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein said WLAN is one of a x.25 or IEEE 802.11 protocol network.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein at least one of said two or more RFSDs have a directional, steerable antenna.
27. A security-enhanced wireless communications system comprising two or more primary wireless devices forming a wireless local area network (WLAN), operatively communicating using wireless packets in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 protocol, having two or more Radio Frequency Security Devices (RFSDs), each of which is positioned along an edge of a perimeter of a Secured Space and each of which is capable of affecting packet traffic from the WLAN or from an external network by creating a similar affected packet, said system operatively capable of said external network packet traffic by: creating a Radio Frequency Map of the WLAN and external network environment; identifying one or more external wireless networks to the WLAN; identifying said external wireless networks with respect to location of proximity perimeter of WLAN; identifying signal strength of said one or more identified external wireless networks; optionally re-positioning one or more RFSDs along a perimeter edge of Secured Space in response to identified signal strength; identifying packet characteristics of an affected packet; adjusting one or more of said RFSDs to respond and transmit at least one altered packet having similar characteristics of said affected packet; transmitting said altered packet towards or away from said WLAN in response to traversing direction of said affected packet to cause said affected packet to be undetectable.
28. The system of claim 27 wherein each RFSD has a steerable antenna system which is adjusted and optionally readjusted in response to characteristics of said external network.
29. The system of claim 27 , wherein said WLAN is also in communication with a local area network (LAN) backbone having one or more access points (APs) and wherein each of said RFSDs comprise a transmission means for transmitting data across the WLAN and LAN, a receiver means for receiving data across the WLAN and LAN, a controller means for controller the RFSDs, respectively, across the WLAN and LAN, a power means for powering said RFSDs singly or collectively, and a directionally steerable communication means for enabling effective communications of RFSDs across the WLAN and LAN.