Wi-Fi vulnerabilities

Protecting wireless networks can be very challenging at times. There are many vulnerabilities that a hacker can exploit to compromise a wireless network. One of the basic Wi-Fi vulnerabilities is broadcasting the Service Set Identifier (SSID) of your wireless network. Broadcasting the SSID makes the wireless network easier to find and target.

Another vulnerability in Wi-Fi networks is using Media Access Control (MAC) addresses for network authentication. A hacker can easily spoof or mimic a trusted MAC address to gain access to the network. Using weak encryption such as Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) will make your network an easy target for attack. There are many hacking tools available to crack any WEP key in under five minutes.

We will explore some of these tools later in this book. A major physical vulnerability in wireless networks is access points (APs). Sometimes APs will be placed in poor locations that can be easily accessed by a hacker. A hacker may install what is called a rogue AP. This rogue AP will monitor the network for data that a hacker can use to escalate their attack.

Often this tactic is used to harvest the credentials of high ranking management personnel, to gain access to encrypted databases that contain the personal/financial data of employees and customers, or both. Peer-to-peer technology can also be a vulnerability for wireless networks.

A hacker may gain access to a wireless network by using a legitimate user as an accepted entry point. Not using and enforcing security policies is also a major vulnerability found in wireless networks. Using security tools such as Active Directory (deployed properly) will make it harder for a hacker to gain access to a network. Hackers will often go after low-hanging fruit (easy targets), so having at least some deterrence will go a long way in protecting your wireless network.

Using Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) in combination with Active Directory will immensely increase the defense of any wireless network, although the most effective factor is having a well-trained and informed cyber security professional watching over the network. The more a cyber security professional (threat hunter) understands the tactics of a hacker, the more effective that threat hunter will become in discovering and neutralizing a network attack. Although there are many challenges in protecting a wireless network, with the proper planning and deployment those challenges can be overcome.