Certification - May 2008 - (Page 36) From retail and manufacturing to hospitals, large hotel chains, coffee shops, convention centers, airport waiting areas and the enterprise networks, wireless is there. for that. So no matter how ordinary or how average you are, your wireless network is at risk. As wireless becomes more ubiquitous, it is becoming the vehicle of choice for attack. While there are many security risks associated with wireless protocols and encryption, most of them are surmountable. But with the growing use of wireless hacking tools, the onus of wireless security is falling on the user. For those who think wireless security is a bunch of hot air created by the security industry, realize that wireless security issues go back decades. While we are discussing 802.11, wireless security of the past dealt with espionage against microwave relay systems, theft of satellite TV service, cloning and fraudulent use of cellular phones. Defining Security and Wireless Risks At the high level, information security is a concern in three core areas: • Confidentiality: Data can’t be read by anyone for whom it wasn’t intended. Wireless Security So from a practical perspective, wireless is insecure. And as wireless technologies gain wider acceptance, it is imperative that wireless security concerns be taken into account. It is important to first realize that every security risk that exists in physical networks is prevalent in wireless networks. In fact, wireless introduces new risks. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the main concerns around wireless security are device theft, denial of service, malicious hackers, malicious code, theft of service and industrial and foreign espionage. • Integrity: Data can’t be altered in storage or transit between sender and intended receiver without the alteration being detected. • Availability: The data, systems and security controls used to protect the data are all available and functioning correctly when the data is needed. Some of the more prominent 802.11 wireless risks that end users need to be aware of are: • Data interception: Unencrypted wireless traffic is intercepted and confidential information compromised via wireless transmission intercepts. • Accidental association: A user turns on a wireless device, which in turn connects to a wireless access point from a different organization’s network. The risk is that proprietary corporate data 36 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE May 2008
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.