Research Security of Wireless Networks, Research Paper Example

Abstract

In today’s high technology world more people are using advanced telecommunications and in particular wireless networks.  A great deal of people are accessing the internet by the use of internet cafe’s  and using simple unsecured connectivity that potentially puts their portable computers at risk. Equally unsecured home wireless networks face similar vulnerabilities.  The concept of internet security is not a difficult one and there are a number of simple steps that need to be followed.  This paper explores the concept of wireless networking and providing security on same.  The paper examines concepts of information security, password protection, data encryption, firewalls, intrusion software i.e. anti-spyware and ant-virus protection.

Wireless Networking

Wireless networking allows shared access to the internet by means of a device called a router.  Users should change the default password on the WLAN router as soon as it’s set up. Equally the Passwords should be  an alphanumeric password  that other potential intruders could not readily determine . Also, the SSID broadcast should be turned off, making the network invisible to others. Some wireless routers have the option of reducing the signal range, limiting how far outside your home of office the signal will reach. This means that less outsiders will have the opportunity to hack into your information. In addition ,  it’s best for remote administration to remain turned off. While “off” is usually the default setting, it should be double-checked. If this service is turned on, anyone can access your router.

There are a number of key security issues when accessing the internet via wireless network connectivity.

• Change default passwords on routers as these are known to hackers and make your system vulnerable to attack;
• Turn on compatible WPA/WEP encryption. ” Encryption technology scrambles messages sent over wireless networks so that they cannot be easily read by humans. Several encryption technologies exist for Wi-Fi today” (Mitchell);
• Change the default SSID – default SSID’s indicate a weak network configuration and points out the system to hackers as both weak and vulnerable;
• Enable Mac Address Filtering – This is an added security measure but persistent hackers can ultimately fake these id’s. ” Each piece of Wi-Fi gear possesses a unique identifier called the physical address or MAC address. Access points and routers keep track of the MAC addresses of all devices that connect to the network” (Mitchell);
• Disable SSID broadcast – Routers display the network name over the internet at regular intervals. This identifies you to the outside community. This makes you more vulnerable to attack;
• Do not connect to open Wi-Fi networks : Most people use unsecured networks at internet cafe’s and this exposes your system to attack.
• Assign static IP addresses to devices : ” Turn off DHCP on the router or access point, set a fixed IP address range instead, then configure each connected device to match” (Mitchell).
• Enable Firewalls on Router and Computer. There are software applications like those provided by Norton and Microsoft that have “all in one” capability providing protection over both the wireless network and the computer
• Position the Router Safely – position towards the centre of the home as this limits signal range and prevents leakage going too far;
• Turn off the network during extended periods of non use.

The Pro’s and Con’s

Wireless networking has both advantages and disadvantages in terms of use.

The following illustration provides a simple example of a wireless network: Note positioning of the router and firewall in the configuration provided.

Conclusions

There are a number of areas where potential improvements might be made to existing wireless network configurations.  For example:

• Processing Speed :  Most networks run slow with volume of users and they quickly reach capacity ” On the surface. wireless connections seem poorly suited to Internet access because of their limited speed and awkward pricing structure.”  (Edwards)
• Security :  We will need to be continuously looking at ways to improve network security, particularly in anti-virus,  spyware and data theft.  The wireless network is aimed for massive expansion in the future ” It predicts the number of wireless data users will jump from less than a million today to more than nine million by the year 2000. It expects the wireless data market to climb from $721 million in 1996 to $3.94 billion by 2000.”  (Edwards)

Works Cited

Business Link. The pros and cons of wireless networking. 2010. 20 7 2010 <http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1074299512&type=RESOURCES>.

Edwards, Morris. Wireless Internet – wireless technology improvements – Industry Trend or Event. 4 1997. 20 7 2010 <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CMN/is_n4_v34/ai_19351783/>.

Mitchell, Bradley. 10 Tips for Wireless Home Network Security. 2010. 20 7 2010 <http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wirelesssecurity/tp/wifisecurity.htm>.