[SatNews] A new standard for simplification of wireless networks has been presented...

Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS) researcher Jonathan Ellch recently presented a new geolocation standard that simplifies the process of locating and mapping wireless networks by allowing data captured by multiple tools to be shared. The presentation, titled PPI-Geolocation: The Next Generation of 802.11 Visualization and Geolocation, took place during the recent Black Hat technical security conference in Las Vegas. 802.11 refers to the set of industry standards related to wireless local area networking.

The new Harris standard builds upon the wireless networking industry's Per-Packet Information (PPI) specification to provide a universal standard for storing GPS, antenna, and rotational information in a packet-capture (PCAP) format. This capability enables users to create interoperable network geo-location and visualization solutions for applications in cyber security and local area networking, as well as for mapping elements of a wireless network,- such as access points and coverage, on a campus.

"The new specification developed by Mr. Ellch leverages Harris' leadership in cyber and advances the state-of-the-art in 802.11 geolocation utilities by creating a common format that enables interoperability across a variety of tools," said Sheldon Fox, group president, Harris Government Communications Systems. "It enables the de-coupling of packet visualization and analysis information from the platforms through which they are collected so that the data can be shared among different applications." A software development kit (SDK) will accompany the specification when it is released, enabling other vendors to easily integrate the standard into their own applications. Harris has provided similar support for other industry standard tools, including Wireshark. You can download a copy of Mr. Ellch's presentation at this direct link.