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Regardless of whether they are public or private, many companies and institutions appreciate a variety of resources that can ensure the effectiveness of their routine and safety. Technology analysts are investing more and more not only in good internal network control, but also in the possibility of providing Internet for the external public, such as customers and visitors.
The Captive Portal, named for the tool that facilitates this action with greater ease and security, is an interesting solution for many corporations. For this to work properly and comply with corporate policies, however, there are some best practices for applying the feature.
Therefore, we will try, through this blog post, to exemplify what the Captive Portal is and what its advantages are, and then to suggest good practices that will certainly be advantageous for the efficient installation of such an appropriate tool in certain companies and businesses.
Captive Portal: what is it and what are the benefits?
Portal Captive is a tool that controls, in an automated way, the entrance of visitors in a public or private network. You have certainly entered a mall, for example, and had to go through a basic registration when trying to use Wi-Fi. The tool that allows this is precisely the Captive Portal, which controls permissions in a public or private network .
Among the many benefits and advantages of the tool, we can mention:
- Identification of users;
- Data collection;
- Traceability of visitors in cases of threats, fraud or illegalities;
- Increase in corporate security;
- Isolation of corporate networks in companies.
Best practices
Although it is a resource that presents varied possibilities, some instructions are necessary so that the use of the captive portal is efficient and positive. Next, we selected some suggestions of best practices that analysts and technology managers should consider when implementing the tool.
Isolated network
When making Internet access available to customers or visitors, it is vital for the company/institution to have a separate portal network. In this way, the internal network, used in the productive routine of the corporation and by the collaborators, must be isolated from the network that allows the access to the web for external users. More than a security measure, it is a matter of control.
Simple registration
One practice to establish best access by captive portal is to determine a good registration process to control this entry. Thus, it is possible to monitor who is using the internet and who is abusing. In addition, you can also capture valid data that helps provide better user information, enabling future use as a business approach.
Band control
Another great need is for the portal network to have a separate internet link or use a bandwidth controltool. In this way, external accesses will not consume all the internet used by the company in its daily tasks. If this conflict exists, it needs to be quickly reviewed, after all the company’s internet is being consumed in a way that can harm their daily activities.
Standardization of accesses
In addition to an isolated network and good bandwidth control, it is essential that a standardization of access is made. This means that user validation needs to be usable for only a certain amount of time, and in order to reuse it, you need to do the credentialing on the portal again. This is a security measure for the access not to be improperly used.
Terms of Use
Internet usage policy is a great way to establish better control over the web, including external access. It must contemplate all the specificities of its use – what is permitted and denied, as well as its model of operation – so that it is in accordance with the security measures adopted by the corporation.
Network security
External user security is essential. For this reason, it is very important that analysts and technology managers appreciate this type of defense. A good way, for example, is to exemplify what will be done with the data obtained in the registry and the way they will be kept, trying to make it clear that it is confidential information, so everything will respect the privacy of the visitor.
Once all these good practices have been performed efficiently, the captive portal will bring numerous benefits through two-way communication: both internal and external.
This post is also available in: Português English Español
