eWeek reports that the IEEE ratified 802.11i, the updated security standard for Wi-Fi: The new 802.11i standard will appear as firmware upgrades to modern equipment--notably almost everything shipped since late 2002 with some exceptions--by September, the article states. 802.11i adds a few key pieces on top of the interim WPA standard, and should allow companies to remove the restriction of putting access points outside of a firewall and using expensive LAN-speed VPNs for wireless users. Combining 802.11i's AES encryption with 802.1X/EAP-TLS or PEAP and there's an enormously high degree of security in the authentication process and in Layer 2 communication.