NIST 800-53 REV 5 • ACCESS CONTROL
AC-18 — Wireless Access
Establish configuration requirements, connection requirements, and implementation guidance for each type of wireless access; and Authorize each type of wireless access to the system prior to allowing such connections.
Supplemental Guidance
Wireless technologies include microwave, packet radio (ultra-high frequency or very high frequency), 802.11x, and Bluetooth. Wireless networks use authentication protocols that provide authenticator protection and mutual authentication.
Practitioner Notes
Wireless access introduces unique risks — signals travel through walls, attackers can intercept from the parking lot. You need to protect, authenticate, and encrypt all wireless connections.
Example 1: Configure your enterprise WiFi using WPA3-Enterprise with 802.1X authentication against RADIUS (NPS in Windows Server). Users authenticate with their AD credentials via EAP-TLS (certificate-based) rather than a shared password.
Example 2: Create a separate guest WiFi network on a dedicated VLAN that has internet access only — no route to your internal network. Configure the guest portal to require acceptance of an acceptable use policy before granting access. Log all guest connections with MAC addresses and timestamps.