WHITEPAPER

OPEN WI-FI
CHALLENGES
FOR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
 OPEN WI-FI CHALLENGES FOR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS WHITEPAPER 2

Wi-Fi is now a necessity everyone expects to be available
no matter where they go—preferably free of charge. An
estimated 549 million public Wi-Fi hotspots is forecasted
worldwide by 20221, making connectivity more available
than ever before for business and personal use. For
public institutions like libraries and local governments,
providing public Wi-Fi is desirable, but can add a level of
difficulty to IT management due to the regulations they
must abide by.
Complying with CIPA and receiving E-Rate funds is
not the only concern that public institutions need to
tackle. Ensuring network performance and providing
adequate bandwidth is also a crucial concern for
system administrators. Since more and more websites
and apps use rich media such as streaming music and
video, metering usage has become a top concern for
municipalities offering public internet access.

ACCESS & COMPLIANCE

Virtually all public libraries offer free Wi-Fi access: 98%
in the U.S.2 Cities all over the world are adding free
Wi-Fi to offer visitors and those living in the area an
easy way to connect their various devices. With retail
locations like Starbucks and McDonald’s also offering
free Wi-Fi, it is becoming the norm for customers to
always be connected, no matter where they are. As Wi-Fi
becomes readily accessible, so increases the risk to the
organization offering the service.

In addition to city-wide efforts, municipalities may

also offer Wi-Fi in select locations such as civic centers,
recreation facilities, buses, trains, schools and libraries.
Wi-Fi is an additional value that makes these locations
better able to serve the needs of their patrons. Some
government agencies, however, must comply with
additional regulations when they provide internet access.
For example, libraries that utilize the E-Rate program, a
program to help schools and libraries obtain affordable
broadband, must comply with the Children’s Internet
Protection Act (CIPA). CIPA requires schools and libraries
to adopt an internet safety policy that includes technology
protection measures to block or filter Internet access to
items that are inappropriate for minors (including content
that is (a) obscene, (b) child pornography, or (c) harmful
to minors). Libraries must also enforce a policy to monitor
online activities of minors.3
BANDWIDTH & SECURITY
By allowing devices on the public network, agencies
open up the door for network security vulnerabilities as
well as the possibility of Quality of Service (QoS) issues.
In 2018, the City of Atlanta fell victim to a ransomware
attack, costing them over $2.7 million and shutting
down critical city business systems. It is important that
government networks are set up to ward off all types
of threats, including those coming from guest devices.
Guest devices may or may not have security software
such as endpoint antivirus installed, leaving them
vulnerable to attack. Once the device is exploited, it can
then carry that malware payload onto the next network
it joins.
Bandwidth issues can be a crucial concern for system
administrators in any industry. Recreational traffic like
streaming services, games and social media can rapidly
drain resources away from other users who might be
using the network for business purposes, research
projects or other uses. Having a network security
solution that provides the option to block applications
as well as identify rogue users is crucial for any public
institution offering guest Wi-Fi.
 OPEN WI-FI CHALLENGES FOR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS WHITEPAPER
UNTANGLE FOR STATE & LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS
Here are some tips for institutions looking for simple
ways to improve their network security:
Separate the Public Network - By segmenting the
public network from the internal network, agencies do
not have to worry as much about unauthorized access
to sensitive information. Also, if a threat penetrates the
public network, the internal network will be less likely
to be affected.
Captive Portal - By segmenting the public network
from the internal network, agencies do not have to
worry as much about unauthorized access to
sensitive information. Also, if a threat penetrates the
public network, the internal network will be less
likely to be affected.
Web Filter - Use a solution that allows fine-grained
controls on what websites, apps and resources users
can access to ensure that inappropriate, dangerous
and illegal content stays off the network, even if it’s
obfuscated by SSL.
Bandwidth and Application Control - Manage
bandwidth by allocating resources and block
applications that can affect the network experience.
Untangle provides a cost-effective,
all-in-one solution for government
agencies that includes secure Wi-
Fi, content filtering, ransomware
protection, malware and advanced
threat protection, application-
based shaping for bandwidth
optimization, and virtual private
networks (VPN) in a simply
powerful, affordable package.
3
Untangle, Inc.
100 W. San Fernando St., Ste. 565
San Jose, CA 95113
www.untangle.com
ABOUT US
Untangle is an innovator in cybersecurity for
the below-enterprise market, safeguarding
people’s digital lives at home, work and
on-the-go. Untangle’s integrated suite of
software and appliances provides enterprise-
grade capabilities and consumer- oriented
simplicity, bringing a new generation of
smart security to homes and small-to-mid-
sized businesses. Untangle’s award-winning
network security solutions are trusted by over
400,000 customers, protecting nearly 5 million
people, their computers and networks around
the world.
For sales information, please contact us by
phone in the US at +1 (866) 233-2296 or via
e-mail at sales@untangle.com.
©2019 Untangle, Inc. All rights reserved. Untangle and the Untangle logo are
registered marks or trademarks of Untangle, Inc. All other company or product
names are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCES
1 https://www.statista.com/statistics/677108/global-public-wi-fi-
hotspots/
2 http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet06
3 https://usac.org/sl/applicants/step05/cipa.aspx