All is not bleak, however. With the advent of many wireless attack methods, means to counter the attacks and reduce exposure are also available. The evolution of wireless security continues in a cycle IT professionals will recognize from wired network security-a game of cat and mouse. As new weaknesses are found in wireless networks and protocols, new methods and designs are put into place to address them.

One of the first efforts at securing 802.11 networks was WEP. The use of RC4 with 40-bit keys was considered sufficient. However, a flaw in the specification regarding the data fed into the RC4 algorithm was found that allowed attackers to derive the secret key used to protect traffic. In order to address that issue, WPA was created.

As of this writing, WPA2 is now available for 802.11X networks. Lessons learned from attacks against WEP and WPA, both practical and theoretical, have been applied in the design of WPA2. Other security mechanisms are being developed or have been deployed for various wireless protocols.

Increases in Wireless Security Mechanisms
Frequency hopping, a technique once used primarily by the military, is now used in many wireless networking protocols to make intercepting transmissions difficult. Specially designed antennas are used to reduce the area where radio transmissions can be received. Cryptographically strong hashing and encryption algorithms are being analyzed and implemented at multiple layers of the networking stack. These measures provide a defense in depth-the compromise of a single security mechanism still leaves in place other protection mechanisms to offset the risk. This strategy prevents new exploits and attacks from gaining complete access to sensitive networks. The extra redundancy and layers can provide sufficient time for IT administrators to test and deploy emergency security fixes when a vulnerability is discovered in the network.

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The adoption of wireless devices continues to grow as they become more affordable. The rapid spread of wireless technologies among both business and personal systems has improved interoperability and accessibility. However, this very ubiquity has also led to an increase in the number of threats to computer networks. Wireless technologies have given attackers new ways to steal sensitive information, tamper with business processes, and subvert network security enforcement mechanisms. As new threats and attacks are found against wireless networks, they are addressed with changes and additions to the protocols and standards. This book will introduce the basic concepts underlying the evolution of wireless security-the threats, the exploits, and the remediation strategies.

Data Interception
One attack that must be considered when using wireless technology is the threat of data interception. In data interception, one of the key benefits of wireless technologies also leads to one of its greatest weaknesses. Because radio transmissions are broadcast through the air to target devices, any system properly configured within the radio broadcast range can also receive the wireless messages. Thus, devices that should not be on the wireless network can receive the transmissions. The extension of the network by wireless technologies has also increased the attack surface available to malicious users; an adversary can become part of a network and interact with systems that were not designed to operate in a hostile environment.

A common activity used for wireless attacks is war driving. A malicious individual can drive around with a laptop and a wireless receiver listening to the radio traffic being broadcast. Programs running on the laptop can be set up to automatically analyze the data and attempt to break into the networks as they are found. In addition, many attackers also correlate the data with GPS information to create a map of wireless access points. Based on their location, attackers can later revisit these access points for further attack.

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Communications over wireless links have been possible for a very long time. Radios were used for communications in the late 1800s. Guglielmo Marconi demonstrated the transmission of Morse Code over wireless links for the British Post Office in 1897. In 1898, the Russian navy cruiser Africa used a wireless communications device to communicate with operators on shore. Television signals were first broadcast in 1928. The very first visual image sent over television signals was Felix the Cat. Since those times, radio communications have come a long way. Commercial radio stations, television broadcasts, cellular phone networks, satellite data-links, slow-scan amateur video transmissions, baby monitors, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), and GPS navigation systems all use wireless technology.

The use of encryption in communications is nothing new either. In fact, it’s been used for centuries to protect sensitive messages, such as those sent from Caesar to his battlefield generals. The famous Enigma cipher machine was used during World War II to encrypt radio communications. Communications for television transmissions were encrypted with VideoCipher II in 1986. VideoCipher systems often used DES for video encryption. In 2001, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States selected Rijndael as a federal replacement for DES, thus naming Rijndael the new Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). AES has been incorporated in publicly available wireless communications devices as one of the algorithms for WPA. Some attacks are now available for AES, such as timing attacks that exploit the properties of certain types of hardware. Data encryption and communications security continue to remain an active area of research to this day.

Basics of Wireless Technologies
The added convenience and capabilities offered by wireless technologies are not without a price, however. By offering new features and allowing for distributed operation, threats against the systems connected to wireless networks have increased. Break-ins to wireless networks are on the rise. The accessibility of wireless communications equipment has led to the proliferation of wireless networks and individuals who attack them. As wireless equipment becomes more ubiquitous, the economy of scale allows more individuals to acquire the hardware necessary to mount an attack against that equipment. The increasing amount of information and services available through wireless networks makes the systems connected to them much more attractive targets.

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The term wireless technology encompasses many things: Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, AM/FM radio, IEEE 802.11 communications hardware, cellular phone networks, and other devices that communicate without a physical connection between them.

Many businesses and individuals have deployed wireless communications devices in their networks. The advantages realized from this deployment range from the ability to move while connected to the network to the providing of network connectivity in isolated locations, such as weather monitoring stations on mountaintops, communications with ships at sea, and obtaining updated navigational aids from GPS units while driving. Because of the popularity of wireless communications, a new type of service known as the wireless hotspot has arisen-a public location that offers connectivity to the Internet for a small fee, or for free to attract customers to the location.

The convenience and increasingly affordable cost of wireless technology has led to its rapid spread and adoption by many users. Businesses can now use wireless communications hardware to provide network connectivity to various devices without having to run cables through floor panels and ceiling tiles. Individuals can also set up wireless networks at home to share an Internet connection without installing network cabling all over the house. Even the use of wireless connectivity is being sold by businesses setting up wireless hotspots to allow customers to use their laptops to connect to the Internet for a small fee. An added benefit is that now businesses no longer have to deal with the costs involved in managing public computer terminals-customers bring their own laptops!

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By: Sam Ellis

With all of the different home security system services out there, it can be hard to tell if you should have a wireless home security system, hardwired system, or a gadget that has been newly placed on the market. The goal is to stay one step ahead of any potential predators while keeping an affordable means of home security and choosing from masses of options. Recently, the best in home security has seemed to be the wireless home security system. Protecting your home from potential harm is a priority, but when you purchase a wireless home security system, you should know that there is more to the system than just the name.

The wireless home security system is primarily chosen because of its neat appearance and lack of wires. It is convenient to every abode in every situation. However, which system you choose will depend on how much security you need and what your budget entails. The best in home security wireless systems, and the most frequently used are the wireless security cameras, the wireless alarms, and the wireless motion detector syste

The cameras are a small and practical way to monitor your home security without an alarm. The cameras can be used for surveillance and the leaders in home security typically make them such as Ademco, DSC, and GE. They can be used to monitor children while playing as well as catching a common thief. These cameras have the option to record so that you may check the tapes later using a simple VCR or they can broadcast live. The wireless security cameras are generally considered the best in home security and when they are combined with other wireless devices, they are found to be almost foolproof.

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A survey of tech-savvy computer users show that the Internet has been the single most important innovation contributing to improving productivity in the past half-century. A majority of users also believe that wireless networks will have the biggest impact on productivity in the next five years.

These findings are from a new international survey commissioned by Lexmark International, and conducted by global pollster Ipsos. The online survey of Ipsos panelists comprised 9,000 respondents from 18 countries.

Here are some of the findings:
Wireless to Deliver Next Big Boost for Productivity - Part 1
Wireless to Deliver Next Big Boost for Productivity - Part 2

From Part 1

Wired up for wireless
Forty percent of respondents to the Lexmark survey said they already have a wireless network at home (Internet or any other connectivity solution made possible by the use of wireless routers, including Bluetooth and WiFi) and, of those, 80 percent said they were more productive because of their wireless network.

Those who currently have a wireless network cited the following as the main benefits (up to three responses were possible):

• Flexibility/mobility – 84 percent
• Ability to share information among computers or printers on the network – 46 percent
• Time savings – 30 percent
• Cost savings – 24 percent
• Ability to stream music or video over the network – 21 percent

Respondents who have wireless networks said the activities most frequently performed on their wireless networks were as follows (up to three responses were possible):

• Connecting to the Internet – 92 percent
• Moving around the home while connected – 61 percent
• Connecting devices together – 60 percent
• Printing – 49 percent
• Working from home – 47 percent

Respondents who already have wireless networks were remarkably positive about their experience, with 42 percent saying they had no problems or frustrations at all with their wireless networks. Twenty percent had problems with dropped connections and 19 percent with slow speeds.

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