An access arrangement (11) provides secure access by at least one mobile
communications device (12.sub.1 12.sub.3) by first authenticating the
device itself, and thereafter authenticating the traffic therefrom. To
authenticate the traffic from the mobile communications device, an
authentication server (24) associated with the access arrangement (11)
establishes a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption key for both the
access arrangement and the mobile communications device. The
authentication server provides the WEP encryption key to the device in
connection with a command to cause the device to execute a resident
ActiveX control to encrypt traffic with the WEP encryption key. Utilizing
the Active X control within the mobile communications device to encrypt
traffic with the WEP encryption key provides a simple, easy-to-implement
method to achieve secure access.