In all manner of security, redundancy is strength. It’s a way to ensure that no matter what goes wrong, there is a backup plan in action that can certify safety. Network security is no different; a properly redundant RADIUS server can be the cornerstone to a properly secure network. And with Cyber-attacks costing small businesses an average of $84,000 to $148,000, redundancy can be the difference between a business staying afloat or sinking.
Luckily, SecureW2’s Cloud RADIUS comes built with redundancy and it’s a turn-key cloud-based RADIUS solution built from the ground up that can be tailored made to work for your organization. Check out what one of our customers about how easy the setup is.
What is RADIUS Redundancy?
If your organization has a properly configured RADIUS server for authentication purposes, you may be under the impression that you’ve done your part and have a perfectly secure network. Unfortunately, there is always a chance that the server may go down unprovoked.
For example, universities often have a large swath of new students all configuring themselves for authentication at once. This influx of server requests can easily crash an unprepared network. This nightmare scenario could have IT administrators scrambling to restart their RADIUS, generating inefficiencies and security threats for organizations.
RADIUS redundancy is the process of implementing load balancing aspects to network infrastructure in order to account for potential mishaps such as this. This could come from a secondary server or any other system that accounts for a potential RADIUS malfunction.
Issues With RADIUS Redundancy
An issue with redundancy is the difficulty of properly configuring all aspects of the system. Properly configuring a single RADIUS is no small task, but adding multiple servers can put a massive strain on your IT department and requires a lot of technical skill and support.
For a multiple server solution, IT organizations need to create an architecture where a second RADIUS server takes over the burden when the first RADIUS is overwhelmed. In these situations, the network administrator must test each server continuously to make sure that the system runs properly. This can prove both challenging and time-consuming for both users and administrators. So, if an organization wants RADIUS redundancy without the hassle, what solution can they implement?
Redundancy With Dynamic Cloud RADIUS
If you’re looking for a viable and easy solution for RADIUS redundancy, look no further than SecureW2’s Dynamic Cloud RADIUS. Dynamic Cloud RADIUS has built-in redundancy, there is just one license, and it’s more cost-efficient because there is no hardware to deal with and no physical installation.
Our industry-first Dynamic Cloud RADIUS adds an extra layer of redundancy to the user validation process without any significant extra burden to hardware or network requests. This redundancy is particularly useful because it covers an inherent vulnerability in CRLs – their update interval. Usually, a cached copy of the CRL is stored in the RADIUS and updated every day or two. That’s a window for bad actors to trick a RADIUS into using a recently revoked certificate that still appears valid. While this problem could be addressed by simply shortening the CRL update interval, most organizations find that solution too costly.
Setting up Cloud RADIUS is also much more simple than any alternative. You simply configure the secure SSID on a WPA2-Enterprise network and set up the cloud RADIUS in the controller or AP by sharing the RADIUS IP and the shared secret. That’s all it takes.
Try The SecureW2 Solution
SecureW2’s Cloud RADIUS is a vendor-neutral solution that can authenticate any network device and ensure your network is secure. The built-in redundancy of our RADIUS allows you to enjoy all the benefits of a fully-equipped network with none of the stress associated with the configuration. Check out our solutions page to see if our cost-efficient solutions can fit your organization.
