On Saturday, January 4, 2003, at 03:28  PM, Darrell Shandrow wrote:

> Hi Gary,
>
> So, then, the wireless network is considered to be a public network.
> Couldn't it still be used, then, so long as the traffic is 
> encapsulated and
> encrypted?
>

See my previous message to Hans.  You can encrypt all you want, but the 
spectrum itself is not an approved transmission medium for secure 
information.

Every IT auditor that has walked through my door has point-blank asked 
me if I have 802.11x in use.  I say 'no' - they say 'good thing'.
They red tag it immediately - vpn or no vpn.    And I don't mean that 
these are fly-by-night auditors... we're talking OIG, D&T, KPMG... 
government and public heavy weights to name a few.

Yep, it's not convenient to lose wireless - but how inconvenient will 
it be to have hundreds of thousands of patients get their identities 
stolen?    *shiver*  Especially if it's mine or yours!!

You might really consider doing a wired solution and have it certified 
by a company like Siemens or such.

Gary