Wireless access points (APs) translate the hardwired electronic
signals in the network to radio signals that are sent across the
air. Plugging an access point into the existing network and a wireless
interface card directly in the PC can extend networks quickly and
easily. With very little configuration, one is able to set up a
wireless network, and roam anywhere within a 300 foot region without
the traditional network ethernet.
Unfortunately, this also makes the same network available
to any other PC that is also equipped with a wireless network card.
Without proper security precautions, intruders can freely access
your network. While IT managers would never think of installing
an Ethernet drop outside the front door of the building, unprotected
wireless access is virtually the same approach, with two significant
differences. With a small amplifier and antenna, a hacker can sit
undetected in a more remote location than the front door of the building,
and hackers are posting unsecured networks and their positions on
the Internet for others to access.
Unprotected wireless networks essentially “open the
front door” of your network to intruders that can access shared
drives and data, sniff every packet on your network, read emails,
access web sites, and capture data for further analysis, and take
as long as they need to crack the rest of your system.
Three real-world experiences illustrate the reality of WLAN
vulnerabilities:
At a seminar
on WLAN security, an instructor showed the entire class how to find
the open wireless LAN access points with freeware available on the
Web. Within 15 minutes, students were able to sniff and record all
of the network traffic and monitor Web pages and email packets sent
to the network.
An IT consultant, scheduled
to install new software on a customer's IT servers over the weekend,
was able to begin the installation process and shut down the servers
from the parking lot, while waiting for the customer to arrive,
through the company's wireless network. While this was an authorized
user, an unauthorized intruder could have done the same thing.
The well publicized network
intrusion at a major commercial retail center earlier this year
where an intruder captured credit card numbers in the parking lot
using tools available over the Internet.
Capturing unsecured data anywhere in the range of a wireless
LAN is very easy. The issue of security isn't limited to the standard
wireless range of 300 feet indoors and 1000 ft. outdoors. Wireless
hackers with antennas and power amplifiers can access your network
completely out of sight, and usually without your knowledge.
While the advantages of wireless are tremendous, the security
issues are real. Without physical security that can be used to protect
wired networks, wireless users need to protect their networks with
other tools that can provide the same level of security as wired
networks. These solutions can be layered to provide the level of security
required for any user or organization.
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