wireless Network security

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Foundation of wireless security

Factor that make security increasingly difficult

– Speed of attacks – Sophistication of attacks – Attackers now detect weaknesses faster – Distributed attacks – User confusion

What is information security

Information security is achieved through a combination of three entities – Innermost layer consists of the products that provide the necessary security – Middle layer is people – Outmost layer consists of procedures

Information security protects devices that store, manipulate, and transmit the information

Wireless Advantages & disadvantages

Disadvantages

Radio frequency interference – Signals from other devices can disrupt wireless Health risks – High levels of RF can produce biological damage through heating effects – It is not known if or to what extent lower levels of RF might cause adverse health effects Security – Greatest disadvantage to wireless LANs – Attacks on wireless networks: denial-of-service, stealing passwords, altering messages

Advantages

Mobility – Primary advantage of wireless technology – Enables individuals to use a laptop computer that is always in contact with the network Easier and less expensive installation – Installing network cabling can be expensive – Significant time required to install network cabling – Wireless technologies allow creation of an office in a space where the traditional infrastructure doesn’t exist Increased reliability – Wireless LAN technology eliminates cable failures and increases the overall reliability of the network Disaster recovery – Hot site has all the equipment needed for an organization to continue running Generally run by a commercial disaster recovery service – Cold site provides office space but the customer must provide and install all the equipment – Many businesses use cold sites and WLANs as a major piece of their disaster recovery plan

Wireless in our world

health care

The health care industry has embraced wireless technology to improve patient care Wireless LAN point-of-care computer systems – Allow medical staff to access and update patient records immediately – Verify that medication is being administered to the correct patient in the correct dosage

education

WLANs are ideal for colleges and schools • Educational institutions were early users of WLANs • Wireless LAN connections offer teachers and students an important degree of freedom – Teachers create classroom presentations on laptops – Can access the school network wirelessly from almost any location • Most schools publish maps showing the location of wireless access points CWSP Guide to Wireless Security 17

travel

Travel industry is a leader in adopting wireless technologies – Most airports provide wireless access hotspots – Some airports use wireless technology to keep track of passenger luggage • Wireless PDAs now replace walkie-talkies • WLAN technology is used to communicate with the aircraft – Once it has parked or is taxiing on the ground • WLAN technologies are not restricted to airplanes

bussiness

“Flatter” organizations Business – Employees are involved in team meetings that occur away from their desks • Wireless technology – Has dramatically changed how and where business meetings take place • Has made the meetings more focused and productive • Wireless LANs benefits – Increased productivity, time/financial savings Voice over wireless LAN (VoWLAN) – Emerging wireless technology – Uses the existing data WLAN to make and receive telephone calls – VoWLAN devices can forward business calls to their mobile phones during regular business hours

What attacker can do?

- Steal personal data - View wireless transmissions - With freely available wireless packet sniffer - Inject malware - Download harmful content - Cause loss of equipment - Cause violation of an ISP agreement - Identify “weak link” users

WLAN (Wireless LAN) Architecture

WLAN may include several access points

Dependent upon number of stations – Maximum number varies: 10-100

Infrastructure WLAN

Stations communicate with access point • Not directly with each other Access point requires sufficient power, strategic placement

Wireless access point (WAP)

Accepts wireless signals from multiple nodes • Retransmits signals to network – Base stations, wireless routers, wireless gateways

Ad hoc WLAN

Wireless nodes transmit directly to each other – Use wireless NICs • No intervening connectivity device – Poor performance • Many spread out users, obstacles block signals

Signal degradation

Noise

Significant problem • No wireless conduit, shielding

Attenuation

Signal weakens • Moving away from transmission antenna Correcting signal attenuation • Amplify (analog), repeat (digital) Noise

Fading

Variation in signal strength • Electromagnetic energy scattered, reflected, diffracted

signal propagation

obstacle effect signal travel, signal may

Pass through them – Be absorbed into them – Be subject to three phenomena • Reflection: bounce back to source • Diffraction: splits into secondary waves • Scattering: diffusion in multiple different directions

LOS (line-of-sight)

Signal travels in straight line • Directly from transmitter to receiver

wireless spectrum

Spans 9 KHz and 300 GHz

- Data, voice communication - Arranged by frequencies which is from lowest to highest frequency

Continuum of electromagnetic waves