Security in Wireless Network

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Security inWireless Network

• MSIT 526
• Cuong Quoc Le
• December 15, 2005

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Overview

• Popularity of Wireless Networks
• Benefits of Wireless Networks
• Vulnerabilities in Wireless Networks
• Some solutions to enhance security in wireless
  networks

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Popularity of Wireless Networks

• Executives of 180 firms using more than 500
  personal computers, 40 percent have already
  implemented wireless networks, while another 31
  percent plan on rolling out wireless support in
  the next 18 months. (Wireless Ethernet
  Compatibility Alliance)
• More than 1 million WLAN access points are in
  use by more than 700,000 U.S. enterprises.
  (Yankee Group in Boston)

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Wireless Technologies

• Wireless technologies allow devices to
  communicate without physical connections
• All data transmission is traveling over the
  medium of radio frequency
• wireless technologies are currently from one
  main standard 802.11
• The 802.11b standard is the first WLAN standard
• Other newer standards 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n
  etc

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(No Transcript)
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WLAN Standards
Type Frequency Speed Notes
802.11b 2.4GHz lt 11Mbps
802.11a 5 GHz 54 Mbps
802.11g 2.4 GHz 54 Mbps Interoperable with 802.11b
802.11n Multiple frequencies 540 Mbps
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Benefits of WLANs

• User Mobility users now can be mobile yet
  retain high-speed, real-time access to the
  enterprise LAN
• Rapid Installation time required for
  installation is reduced tremendously
• Flexibility enterprises can now install and
  take down WLANs in their locations easily
• Scalability WLAN network topologies can easily
  be configured to adapt specific business
  applications needs

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Benefits of WLANs
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Vulnerabilities in WLAN

• Easy Access
• Rogue Access Points
• Unauthorized Use of Service
• Service and Performance Constraints
• MAC Spoofing and Session Hijacking
• Traffic Analysis and Eavesdropping
• Higher Level Attacks

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Security Breaches

• Best Buy Co. ran into trouble in the spring of
  2002 when customers who had purchased WLAN cards
  from Best Buy installed the cards in their
  laptops before they left the parking lot. The
  customers noticed unencrypted WLAN traffic that
  contained customer information and possibly
  credit card numbers. (Ohrtman and Roeder)
• Netstumbler to identify unsafe WLANs

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Netstumbler Application
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Security Breaches Methods

• Wardriving
• Airsnort WEPcrack passively monitor
  transmissions and compute the encryption key when
  enough packets have been gathered

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How to Secure WLAN

• Enforce Strong Access Control
• Regular Site Audits
• Design and Audit for Strong Authentication
• Authenticity
• Nonrepudiation
• Accountability
• Adopt Strong Protocols
• Perform Risk Analysis
• Protect the Core from the Wireless LAN

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Conclusion

• The only truly secure network is the one never
  built
• WLAN 802.11 protocols are still evolving to meet
  the needs of businesses
• more vigilant due to new and open security holes
  when deploying wireless technologies
• ? Even though WLAN are becoming popular and a
  cost-effective alternative to traditional wired
  networks, reasonable precautions and vigilance
  must be taken in order to make wireless networks
  safe