Abstract: Security in Wireless Networking

Security is an important issue, it is especially important when dealing with the most vital

connections in our daily lives. With all of our exposure and dependence on wireless networks,

understanding how to protect sensitive and essential information is key. Wireless security

concerns are vast, this paper aims to discuss in detail how and why certain practices and

protocols are followed. Topics will include firewalls, encryption, Wi-Fi protected Access as well

as the most common threats that come with this type of connection.
 Introduction:

It is really no surprise that wireless networks are such a huge part of our lives. It is one of

the most convenient applications that we have access to. You would be hard-pressed to find

someone that isn’t in immediate distress when they are suddenly without Wi-Fi access. Wireless

networks offers all of us the opportunity to have a constant connection to an abundance of

information, people and countless other resources that have become an essential part of our daily

lives. Some of the information and resources can include sensitive materials. Much of the

population can and prefers to operate their various business, financial and other personal

communications through wireless networks. With that being said, it is important to understand

this application, how it works and how to protect yourself from any threats while utilizing it on a

daily basis.

What are wireless networks?

Wireless networks work by providing communication between network nodes by means

of radio waves. (Conklin, pg.63) Not all types of wireless networks are created equal, the

functions of the networks will vary in terms of their different speeds, sizes and range capabilities.

Most people are familiar with the term Wi-Fi, however most people are more accustomed to Wi-

Fi’s end result and not what it is, so the paper will start with WLAN. WLAN, wireless local area

networks, operates through the IEEE 802.11 standard. The distribution of the connection is

accomplished through an AP, access point. The user can use this connection while in the covered

network. This would be recognizable as the Wi-Fi used and available while in a relativity smaller

areas such as coffee shops, campuses, and other building the have this service. (wifinotes.com)

WWAN, wireless wide area networks, cover a larger area than its WLAN counterpart. This

would be what people would know as their cell phone coverage in large areas outdoors, this
would result in slower service and additional charges by the cellular provider. WMAN, wireless

metropolitan area networks refer to a connection to the internet between networks that is

interconnected through a shared LAN. It is basically the in between of WLAN and WWAN in

terms of range. (oreilly.com) WPAN, wireless personal area networks, cover the smallest of all

the areas that have been discussed. This would be most commonly seen in Bluetooth technology.

This is written many places as being a “Cable replacement for peripherals”

(computernetworkingnotes.com)

Protocols:

The protocols used in wireless networks provide security while utilizing wireless

networks. WLAN, uses the protocol standard 802.11. This protocol has several different versions

that have been developed, there is more than ten variations of this specification. This protocol is

widely used and was created by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE.

These protocols differ in terms of GHz frequency capacities, range, security features, amount of

throughput and compatibility between the versions. (Meyers, pg.1068) WEP, Wired Equivalent

Privacy has the ability to encrypt data through its algorithm. The client and the access point will

share a secret key that will check the security of the packets. (berkeley.edu) WPA, Wi-Fi

protected Access, offers an improvement from the flaws in WEP, more on the flaws of each

later. WPA utilized the algorithm, TKIP, Temporal Key Integrity Protocol which provided a

more secure system referred to as per-packet key. This encryption key scheme offered 128-bits

per packet, over the 104-bit maximum of WEP. (Conklin, pg. 65) WPA2, is the improved second

version of WPA. WPA2 uses yet another for its encryption of data called Advanced Encryption

Standard, AES and replaced the use of TKIP with CCMP, Counter Mode with Cipher Block

Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol.(howtogeek.com)

 Common security threats:

Regardless of the many advancements that continue to be made to the protocols and

security features for wireless networking, there will always be threats to data. For every new

security feature, there will be another risk being created by a determined individual. A rouge AP,

Rouge Access Point, refers to an unauthorized access point. A rouge AP can threaten the

infrastructure of a network through DoS attacks and acquire access to important data through

man-in-the-middle attacks. This is especially freighting because rouge AP are hard to detect

before the harm is done, they are not even protected by the firewall, and they are hidden threats.

(Meyers, pg.541) Configuration issues can range from issues with an invalid IP address and

properly configuring encryption. This could result in authentication vulnerabilities to

troubleshooting issues. There is of course, a countless other malicious attacks that everyone

should be cautious of.

Important security practices:

There are many steps that can be taken that will allow wireless network users to help

safeguard their information. One of the most obvious practices that everyone should

automatically do is to make sure your encryption and firewall settings are always on. There

really is no reason to overlook this step, it does not require any addition hardware or software

and will be able to save users from preventable threats. Another very simple tasks that a user can

complete is to keep up with changing passwords and creating them with security in mind,

opposed to what maybe the easiest choice.

Outline:

I. What are Wireless Networks

a. WLAN
b. WWAN
c. WMAN
d. WPAN
II. Protocols and security
a. 802.11
b. WEP
c. WPA
d. WPA2
III. Common Security Threats
a. Rouge AP
b. Denial of service
c. Issues with configuration
d. Malicious attacks
IV. Important security practices
a. Encryption
b. Firewalls
c. Passwords

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