The idiom cutting the cord generally means to stop needing something and acting independently. When it comes to cutting the network cord and going wireless, too many people fail to consider the security implications. Wireless is all about convenience, as it untethers users from the shackles of the Ethernet cable; they often open themselves up to myriad security issues around wireless.
Many people are oblivious to computer security in general. When it comes to wireless, with its increased security risks, the level of oblivion which sometimes protected them in the wired network world falls away in the wireless world. At its essence, wireless networking is just another form of radio communication. Since wireless networks use radio broadcasts, anyone with a wireless receiver can hear all communications on the network.
With that, wireless is just as vulnerable to eavesdropping, traffic injection, spoofing and other forms as attack as another other radio communication. Wireless is no different from a baby monitor, which also operates at a 2.4 GHz frequency.
Wireless benefits
Wireless is all about mobility. Being constantly tethered to a workstation or laptop is often a hindrance to productivity. One of the most compelling benefits of wireless is that it can enhance employee effectiveness and efficiency.
Wireless voice and data networks are one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic areas in the technology industry today. Businesses, municipalities, home users and more are moving to wireless in droves. This article is not about the many benefits of wireless; rather about the security, and often insecurity of wireless networks.
Wireless can offers significant cost savings, all the while increasing the availability of information on demand. In addition, the inherent flexibility of wireless to network moves, adds and changes is helpful.
It is the low cost of entry which is one of the main benefits of wireless. But just as it is inexpensive for organizations to deploy wireless, it corresponds that inexpensive wireless equipment also makes it much easier for attackers to mount an attack against your wireless network.
Wireless is ubiquitous
There is hardly an industry where wireless is not in active use. From retail and manufacturing, to hospitals, coffee shops, airport waiting areas, to the enterprise networks, wireless is there. Large hotel chains, airlines, convention centers, Internet cafes, kiosks, coffee houses and more see wireless as an additional revenue opportunity for providing Internet connectivity to their clients.
For many larger organizations, wireless is turning into the backbone of their IT infrastructure with wireless applications increasingly being deployed on various platforms. For those organizations where wireless technology is already a component of their networks, they often have security in place. But for many, wireless is being deployed under their noses and they have not a clue that it has been deployed.
Also note that wireless includes new integrated technologies such as BlackBerry and 3G mobile phones. These technologies have given their users increased benefits, but they have also resulted in a convergence of the inherent security risks associated with each integrated technology.
WiFi/802.11
As you venture into the wireless world, you will likely see terms such as WiFi, WLAN, 802.11 and others. Wireless like other technologies has its own set of acronyms. 802.11 is a set of technical standards created by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) for wireless networks. WiFi and 8021.11 are used synonymously, but the Wi-Fi Alliance uses it for a slightly different standard. At the end user level, you pretty much don’t have to worry about the differences.
From a security perspective, 802.11 has a range of about 100 meters. That means that if you don’t protect yourself, there is a potentially large pool of people that can take a free security ride on your wireless network.
Why me?
Many people ask the simple question, why would an attacked want to attack me? I am an ordinary average guy with some MP3 files and movies on my computer. Why attack me? While you may indeed have nothing interesting, the attacker does not necessarily know that. Often they want the data. But more than that, they may simply want to access other parts of your network. Many users will have VPN connections back to their corporate networks. Such access is extremely valuable to an attacker. They may simply want to be ride and deny you service to you own network.
More than they, they often want anonymous network access. Your wireless access is the perfect vehicle for that. So no matter how ordinary or how average you are, your wireless network is at risk.
Wireless security
From a practical perspective, wireless is insecure. And as wireless technologies gain wider acceptance throughout the IT environment, it is imperative that wireless security concerns be taken into account.
It is important to realize that every security risk that exists in physical networks is prevalent in wireless networks. In fact, wireless simply introduces new risks. According to NIST, the main concerns around wireless security are device theft, denial of service, malicious hackers, malicious code, theft of service, and industrial and foreign espionage. With that, there are many wireless security issues that you need to consider before taking the plunge into wireless. As wireless becomes more ubiquitous, it is becoming the vehicle of choice for attack. While there are many security risks associated with wireless protocols and encryption, most of them are surmountable. But with the growing use of wireless hacking tools, the onus of wireless security is falling on the user.
Finally, for those who think that wireless security is all a bunch of hot air concocted by the security industry; realize that wireless security issues go back decades. While we are discussing 802.11 here, wireless security of the past dealt with espionage against microwave relay systems, theft of satellite TV service, cloning and fraudulent use of cellular phones, and much more.
At the high level, information security is concern about three core areas:
· Confidentiality - Data can’t be read by anyone for whom it wasn’t intended
· Integrity - Data can’t be altered in storage or transit between sender and intended receiver without the alteration being detected.
· Availability – the data and systems, and security controls used to protect the data are all available and functioning correctly when the data is needed.
Back to our subject at hand, some of the more prominent 802.11 wireless risks that you need to be aware of are (in no specific order):
Data interception - Wireless transmission intercepts where unencrypted wireless traffic is intercepted and confidential information compromised.
Accidental association - This happens when a user turns on wireless device which in turn connects to a wireless access point from a different organizations network.
The risk is that proprietary corporate data may be exposed. There is also a link into the network which could b exploited.
WiPhishing - When an attacker covertly sets up an access point to get wireless-enabled laptops to associate with it as a prelude to an attack. These AP’s are often a source of malware.
Rogue AP - AP is illicitly set up permission. Rogue AP will enable wireless transmission intercepts, and can be used to bypass security controls.
Data loss - Sensitive unencrypted data or encrypted with poor cryptography transmitted between two wireless devices may be intercepted and disclosed.
Insertion Attacks - Deploying unauthorized devices or creating new wireless networks.
Evil twin traffic interception - This is when an attacker fools legitimate wireless clients into connecting to the attacker’s network by placing an unauthorized access point with a stronger signal in close proximity to the wireless client.
Users then attempt to log into the substitute servers and unknowingly give away passwords and similar sensitive data.
Wireless security to do list
While out of the box wireless is insecure, it does not have to be that way. With a little effort, you can easily obviate most of the main wireless security risks. By implementing the following items, you can quickly secure your wireless network:
Utilize strong encryption - The most effective way to secure your wireless network is via strong encryption. Most wireless AP’s have built-in encryption functionality. Unfortunately, many manufactures leave encryption disabled as the default.
The two main wireless encryption types available are Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). Your computer, router, and other equipment must use the same encryption. WPA protocol itself much improved over WEP. WPA is stronger and you should definitely use it if you have a choice.
Some older routers use only WEP, which is easily breakable. WEP is insecure and can be broken in minutes. It is debatable if WEP is better than no encryption. But the fact that it is a question should indicate the inherent weakness in WEP.
Change router identifier - The default identifier for your AP is likely easy to guess. You should change the default as hackers know the default IDs and can use them to try to access your network. Change your identifier to something only you know, and remember to configure the same unique ID into your wireless router and your computer so they can communicate.
Change default administrative password - Change the wireless router's default password before you connect it to the Internet.
Disable remote management - Unless you have a specific need to leave it on, turn remote management off. If you leave it enabled, anyone can get into the route and at that point, it is owned.
Change default SSID – The SSID sends out a signal to any listening wireless device in the vicinity announcing its presence. You don’t need to broadcast this information. The Server Set ID (SSID) is which is akin to a shared password is a configurable identification that allows clients to communicate with an AP. Only clients with the correct SSID should be able to communicate with the AP. Hackers know the default factory set names of all of the different types of wireless equipment, so you need to change it to something that can’t be easily guessed.
Turn off SSID broadcast - This is one of the most elementary wireless security requirements. Because if you allow SSID broadcasts, anyone can connect to your network. Disable the identifier broadcasting mechanism if your wireless router allows it.
MAC address authentication - You should set up MAC address authentication via access control lists (ACLs) on the AP. Configure the AP so that it only allows clients with specific MAC addresses to access the network, or allow access to only a given number of MAC addresses. MAC address authentication is far from perfect, but it is an added layer of defense.
Wireless audit - You should perform a regular security audit for rogue AP in your environment.
For enterprise networks, this should be done at least quarterly. You don’t necessarily need a sophisticated device to do that, but it helps. You can simply walk around with a wireless notebook and sniffer (NetStumbler, Kismet, etc.) to determine if new unauthorized wireless devices have been added to your network. If you find a rogue AP, you can then attempt to shut it down.
AP segmentation - For the corporate arena, segment the AP wired portion of your network on to a separate VLAN. This enables you to separate this traffic and in the event of a breach, can minimize the level of access that an attacker has to your network.
Reception area - Wireless coverage area should be fit to the desired work area. The greater the excessive broadcasting is on the perimeter APs the greater the risk of attack. Where possible, directional antennas should be used at the perimeter directing their broadcasting inward. Some APs offer attenuation levels to be set via their web-based setup utility.
Conclusion
Wireless is insecure, but it does not have to be that way. By making yourself aware of the security risks and then deploying the appropriate security controls; you can secure your wireless network. And not have to worry about becoming yet another victim of wireless insecurity.