Although Wireless Networking has great benefits, which are undoubtedly, there are also some drawbacks, which should be considered. Drawbacks such as Electromagnetic interferences, a slower transfer speed then wired Networks and diverse security concerns. This paper will focus on Wireless Networks and the security concern that we have or should have when implementing such technology.
As a general note there are two types of wireless computer networks.
1) Ad hoc network is established when wireless communication exist directly from computer to computer.
2) Infrastructure Networks are distinguished by the use of an access point. Every communication in a Infrastructure Network goes over a access point.
The good news is Wireless Access Points have a security feature which is called WEP.
It uses an encryption algorithm named RC4. This is a symmetric stream cipher and it can
use two types of encryption keys. 64 Bit and 128 Bit. The WEP encryption serves two main purposes authentication and data encryption. With out data encryption everything transmitted from a computer and everything received would be transmitted in clear text. This means that while data is traveling from one point to the next over a radio wave frequency, it can easily be intercepted and viewed by an unknown third party. Without WEP there is also no authentication for who logs on to the wireless computer or Network, allowing anyone in near distance who can receive the wireless signal to utilize the wireless network for his/her own purpose.
Most vendors who provide wireless equipment don't set the wireless devices to use WEP by default. If no one specifically takes his/her time to set up the WEP security features they are not activated, and at this point the wireless network has no security at all. Leaving your Home or Business Network open for the rest of the world. To make my point it is really a necessity to set up WEP and to set it up correctly. My recommendation would be to use the 128 Bit key on any wireless network. In a professional Business environment as well as at your private residence. Hot spots are very popular and can be found in Airports, Train stations, Hotels, Coffeehouses, Libraries and many other public places. Some are freely available and others require a membership or a fee to access and utilize. These hotspots provide internet access on very flexible terms and they have become widely available in the United States. When using hotspots specifically the freely available one's I do recommend to research if they provide any means of Data encryption to safeguard your data and privacy.
Although WEP encryption provides some degree of security and privacy it is not flawless
And can be broken with certain tools within only a few hours. These tools are easy to use and available to download on the World Wide Web. Therefore WEP by itself cannot be considered a secure solution for your wireless network, it is well suited for most users At there residence that want some degree of security and privacy but really don't have any information on their computers or network which must be safeguarded. For professional Business environments and anyone else who does not fit into the first category WEP by itself is not sufficient to protect your data. There are several other steps, which should be performed in order to safeguard your data. SSID Broadcast should be disabled, Static ip addresses should be assigned and DHCP disabled. These additional settings will help camouflage your wireless network from prying eyes of neighbors, Business competitors, and malicious Intruders.
We hope this white paper has helped some of you who have wireless networks to better understand some of the steps involved in properly securing your network and systems.
For any further questions, ideas and concerns which you may have
Please feel free to contact me.
Andrew Mapp, President
Three Square Business Solutions
[http://threesquaresolutions.com]
MCSA, Security+, CEH, CCFS
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