Wireless to Wireline Communications
LOW MODERATE HIGHRequirements NIST SOURCE
Employ an intrusion detection system to monitor wireless communications traffic as the traffic passes from wireless to wireline networks.
Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)
Wireless networks are inherently less secure than wired networks. For example, wireless networks are more susceptible to eavesdroppers or traffic analysis than wireline networks. When wireless to wireline communications exist, the wireless network could become a port of entry into the wired network. Given the greater facility of unauthorized network access via wireless access points compared to unauthorized wired network access from within the physical boundaries of the system, additional monitoring of transitioning traffic between wireless and wired networks may be necessary to detect malicious activities. Employing intrusion detection systems to monitor wireless communications traffic helps to ensure that the traffic does not contain malicious code prior to transitioning to the wireline network.
Implementation Guidance
Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.
No engineering interpretation has been authored for SI-4(15) yet. This section is architected to receive it — see the Requirements and Assessment sections above for the authoritative NIST source content in the meantime.
Assessment
Assessment Objectives
- an intrusion detection system is employed to monitor wireless communications traffic as the traffic passes from wireless to wireline networks.
Examine
[SELECT FROM: System and information integrity policy; system and information integrity procedures; procedures addressing system monitoring tools and techniques; system design documentation; system monitoring tools and techniques documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; system protocols documentation; system audit records; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].
Interview
[SELECT FROM: System/network administrators; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; organizational personnel installing, configuring, and/or maintaining the system; organizational personnel responsible for monitoring the system; organizational personnel responsible for the intrusion detection system].
Test
[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for intrusion detection and system monitoring; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing intrusion detection and system monitoring capabilities; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing a wireless intrusion detection capability].
Overlays
STIGs & CCIs
No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SI-4(15). This section is architected to display, per product: STIG ID, Finding ID, Severity, Title, Description, Check, Fix, CCI, and NIST control mapping — but nothing is populated here until a real DISA STIG/CCI dataset is ingested.
Learn more about STIG/CCI integration →Evidence
Categorized from the SP 800-53A "Examine"/"Test" artifact list above by keyword — not an authoritative NIST evidence list.
Policy
- System and information integrity policy
- system security plan
Configuration
- system design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
Testing
- Organizational processes for intrusion detection and system monitoring
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing intrusion detection and system monitoring capabilities
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing a wireless intrusion detection capability
Other Records
- system and information integrity procedures
- procedures addressing system monitoring tools and techniques
- system monitoring tools and techniques documentation
- system protocols documentation
- system audit records
- other relevant documents or records