A Practical guide to understanding wireless networking concepts, security protocols, attack, and safer deployment schemes

Abstract

With the explosion of wireless networks appearing in buildings, business and educational campuses, and even homes; security is a large concern in order to prevent attempted intrusions and malicious attacks from the retrieval of confidential data. Wireless Fidelity, Wi-Fi for short, does provide security in the form called Wired Equivalent Privacy otherwise simply known as WEP. However cases documenting WEP\u27s security mechanism being breached in legitimate and illegitimate cases have been published and are readily available on the Internet. While wireless networks provide the freedom of mobility for users, this also allows potential hackers to eavesdrop on unsuspecting wireless users. Or worse, one could potentially hijack an access point and gain unauthorized access past the wireless network and then into the wired internal network. Thus an intruder who has hijacked an access point will be able to access critical data while hiding safely outside the building. Knowledge and understanding of wireless networks and of its security is a necessary step to be learnt if wireless networks are to be deployed securely especially in congested urban settings