Without adequate protection, wireless networks could quickly become fortresses of resistance--or fall prey to hackers and cybercriminals infiltration.
What Is Wireless Security?
Secure Wi-Fi networks have become more complicated over time.
From IoT devices and hybrid cloud environments to personal devices and hybrid environments requiring IoT services, IT pros struggle to stay aware of everything happening within their wireless network.
Wireless networks become ever more complex as time progresses, creating additional headaches for IT professionals who oversee them, including cloud-managed WLAN architecture and IoT without user interfaces; users who dislike new security features that could hinder internet connectivity can further complicate matters.
Wireless network security is an umbrella of tools and practices used to safeguard WLAN infrastructure and traffic.
Wireless security consists of policies and practices which define which devices may connect or not to Wi-Fi networks; technology enforces them against anyone or anything which tries to break them, protecting its network against an attempted breach.
How Does Wireless Security Work?
Wired network security primarily concerns traffic between Ethernet-connected devices like switches and routers; wireless security deals with data that travels over the air; it utilizes access points (APs), which communicate with each other or controller devices through mesh networks as well as endpoints connected to Wi-Fi networks for protection purposes.
Cryptography is essential in creating secure networks - particularly wireless LANs. Encryption uses algorithms or formulas to scramble messages traveling from device to device over wireless connections - even if intercepted, and such messages would remain indecipherable without decryption keys.
Wireless encryption standards have evolved with time in response to changing network requirements, security threats, and vulnerabilities found in previous protocols.
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What Are The Risks Of Insecure Networks?
An unprotected network, like an open door in a house, is highly vulnerable to being breached by external or internal threat actors who wish to steal information, listen in on communications, or commit other forms of criminal behavior.
Wireless networks, in particular, pose a significant danger since anyone in range of it could capture radio waves used by Wi-Fi traffic transmission and use that signal against it for malicious ends.
Imagine yourself sitting in a restaurant full of diners while listening to someone on speakerphone talking directly with their bank and divulging all sorts of personal data such as Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, dates of birth, and names in front of everyone present - which could then be misused to commit fraud and identity theft - this is what an unprotected wireless network looks like for potential attackers.
Threat actors could use unencrypted wireless networks to gain entry to an enterprise network, bypassing encryption altogether and seeking weak points within outdated WLANs to attack.
Wireless Security Protocols
Wireless Access Points can be configured to support one of four encryption standards.
- Wire Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
- Wi-Fi Protected Access
- WPA2
- WPA3
What Are Our Choices Between WPA2, WPA3 And WEP?
Industry experts generally concur that WPA3 offers superior Wi-Fi security when selecting WEP, WPA2, WPA3, and WPA2 wireless security protocols.
WPA3 offers maximum level security due to being the latest wireless encryption protocol - however, limited support by wireless access points makes WPA2 the second-best choice - the latter having become widely adopted across enterprise environments today.
Wireless networks have become highly vulnerable and no longer supported by WEP and WPA security protocols. Network administrators should upgrade any router or wireless access point compatible with these obsolete protocols to a newer device to secure software development services effectively.
What Is WEP?
Wi-Fi Alliance developed WEP as the initial algorithm of encryption for 802.11 standards to thwart hackers from intercepting wireless communications among clients - but unfortunately, when first created, it proved too weak a solution for its original aim of protecting wireless transmission data between clients.
Unfortunately, this goal remained unfulfilled when first introduced in the early 1990s.
WEP uses the Rivest Cipher 4 stream cipher (Rivest Cipher 4) for encryption and authentication purposes, initially specifying a pre-shared 40-bit key before U.S.
federal restrictions were eased on WEP encryption keys of that length. Still, after lifting certain restrictions, there was no access to an extended 104-bit encryption key.
Administrators must manually manage and enter keys manually into WEP networks, using an initialization vector IV of 24 bits as part of its security plan to enhance encryption.
Unfortunately, due to its small IV size and an increased likelihood that users reuse keys resulting from reused passwords resetting in WEP wireless security solutions (making WEP an ineffective wireless security option in terms of this characteristic, among other flaws), WEP represents one of the riskiest wireless security options on offer today.
What Is WPA?
After discovering flaws in WEP, it quickly became evident that an immediate alternative was necessary; unfortunately, however, writing such specifications required too long and too carefully in response to its immediacy; Wi-Fi Alliance responded quickly by creating WPA as an interim security standard in 2003 while IEEE worked towards producing more advanced alternatives for WEP.
WPA comes in two distinct modes, explicitly tailored to business users and private users. WPA-EAP, the enterprise mode of WPA, employs a more stringent authentication protocol 802.1x that needs an authentication server.
In contrast, personal mode uses pre-shared keys (WPA PSK) that simplify implementation and management for consumers and small businesses.
WPA was built upon RC4 encryption standards but added several enhancements: Temporal Key Integrity Protocol or TKIP.
TKIP added new functions that enhanced WLAN security.
- Use of 256-bit key;
- Critical mixing per packet, which creates a unique key for every packet.
- Automatic broadcasting of updated keys
- Message integrity checks
- Larger IV sizes using 48-bit;
- Mechanisms to reduce IV use.
Wi-Fi Alliance designed WPA to be backward-compatible with WEP to facilitate its quick and seamless adoption. Network security experts could easily support its adoption on WEP devices through firmware upgrades; unfortunately, its security was less comprehensive than anticipated.
What Is WPA2?
IEEE adopted WPA2, also known by its technical name 802.11i, as part of its standardization efforts in 2004. Like its predecessor, 802.11b, WPA2 offers enterprise and personal modes.
WPA2 provides a more robust alternative to RC4 and TKIP by replacing these encryption/authentication techniques with two new ones - WPA2-PSK and WPA2-WPA2 authentication methods (which should not be confused).
- Advanced Encryption Standard is an encryption standard.
- Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Protocol (CCMP) is an authentication method.
WPA2 was also created with backward compatibility, supporting TKIP when devices do not support CCMP. The U.S. Government designed AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) as part of its efforts to protect classified information.
Each block cipher encrypts and decrypts using 128-bit blocks with keys of length 128-bit, 192-bit, or 256-bit, respectively, though more computationally intensive for Advanced Passive Users than AES itself has reduced performance issues with computer hardware and networks over time.
CCMP ensures data is secured by restricting it to authorized users, with message integrity guaranteed through cipher-block chaining code authentication.
WPA2 introduced seamless roaming capabilities. Clients may move freely among APs on the same Wi-Fi network without re-authenticating.
This process uses Pairwise Master Key caching (PMK) or authentication.
What Is WPA3?
Wi-Fi Alliance recently began certification of WPA3, considered by experts to be one of the most secure wireless security standards available today.
All Wi-Fi devices must support WPA3 by July 2020 per the Wi-Fi Alliance mandate.
WPA3 requires Protected Management Frames to safeguard against forgery and eavesdropping, prohibits outdated security protocols, and uses a 128-bit cryptographic suite.
WPA3 Enterprise offers optional 192-bit security encryption with 48-bit IV for further data security protection from corporations, governments, and financial institutions. At the same time, WPA3 Personal relies upon either CCMP-128 or AES-128 encryptions for personal devices.
WPA3 addresses the KRACK vulnerability by adopting a more vigorous cryptographic handshake than WPA2, called Simultaneous Authentication of Equals.
This modified version of Internet Engineering Task Force Dragonfly Handshake involves either client or access point initiating contact; authentication credentials are then sent as individual one-off messages instead of in a multipart, give-and-take conversation.
SAE eliminates reused encryption keys by creating unique codes per exchange and prevents cybercriminals from quickly intercepting communications between APs/ clients or using reused encryption keys from being exchanged; so cyber criminals cannot enter exchanges without their prior knowledge allowing easy entry or intercept.
SAE limits users to only on-site authentication attempts with active credentials and flags anyone exceeding an allotted guess count.
Wi-Fi networks should therefore be more resistant against dictionary attacks; SAE requires different encryption passphrases per connection for Forward Secrecy security features that prevent attackers from decrypting any previously captured or saved data.
Wi-Fi Alliance recently unveiled Wi-Fi Easy Connect as well. This simplifies the onboarding of IoT devices without visual configuration screens by scanning QR codes; Wi-Fi Enhanced Open adds extra safety when accessing public Wi-Fi networks by automatically encrypting data between client and AP using unique keys.
WPA3, in practice, isnt completely waterproof. Vanhoef, the expert who discovered KRACK, and Eyal Ronald from Tel Aviv University identified multiple vulnerabilities within WPA3.
Two downgrade attacks were included within Dragonblood Vulnerability, where an attacker forced devices back to WPA2, along with side-channel attacks that enabled offline dictionary attacks. Wi-Fi Alliance downplayed these risks saying vendors can quickly mitigate them via software upgrades; nonetheless, experts agree WPA3 remains today the safest wireless protocol regardless of its vulnerabilities.
Protect Your Wi-Fi Network
Remember that Wi-Fi networks do not merely reside inside walls - they extend up to 300 feet outwards into the air! Without proper protection, access points could be reached by anyone within other buildings, businesses, and offices - rendering your wireless access point vulnerable and open for attack from people from other regions of your business or beyond.
Even in small offices with wireless networks, nearby offices or individuals walking the streets could connect. It would help if you took measures to protect both yourself and the network by taking necessary precautions when connecting devices, wireless routers, or networks - it may lead to people doing illegal acts as they gain entry through various ways, including;
- Spread a virus by viewing all files on your laptop or desktop.
- Monitor all websites you visit. Write down login names and passwords; read all emails that pass across networks.
- Reduce the speed of your laptop or computer and Internet connection
- Make use of your Internet connection to send spam or conduct illegal activity.
Numerous companies and individuals make great efforts to thwart unauthorized access to their Wi-Fi network. Hackers take advantage of wireless access points as convenient points of entry into networks; being drawn in by signals broadcast beyond company walls into surrounding communities draws hackers even more conveniently than they might expect.
Companies often lack the option of turning off Wi-Fi access for employees and encourage their workers to utilize smartphones, tablets, and laptops as access points to wireless networks.
Here are a few suggestions for making your network more secure with a secure software development company.
Use Wi-Fi Protected Access
Some Wi-Fi access points still use an outdated standard known as Wired Equivalent Privacy to secure their networks; this standard has proven vulnerable, with hackers easily breaking in through techniques like Aircrack-ng.
Therefore, using Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), or its more recent counterpart WPA2, provides added protection from hackers gaining entry.
Utilize A Secure WPA Password
For maximum wireless network protection, using long random passwords may help ward off hackers who wish to break in through hacker attempts.
Use CloudCrackers security audit feature on WPA networks to test its strength.
Never reveal your passphrase or password to anyone; after this, youll likely be asked for some data that hackers could capture using devices across a Wi-Fi network range.
Eventually, this service may attempt to recover your passphrase/password.
Check Your Wi-Fi Access Points For Rogue Access Points
Rogue wireless access points pose an immediate security risk. These are unofficial access points brought into the building by visitors or employees unauthorized to do so, creating a potential vulnerability within your building and potentially impacting business operations.
Make A Guest Network
It is wise to establish a guest network if you frequently allow visitors to use your Wi-Fi Network to ensure security and prevent visitors from accidentally infecting the leading network with viruses and malware.
By setting up this secondary network for guests, they still will be able to connect to the internet. Still, they wont affect its overall integrity as much. This practice ensures their internet usage remains safe from infection without invading its primary purpose - you are protecting yourself and any guests using it from unwanted incidents.
The Benefits Of Using A Secure Wi-Fi Service
IT pros know full well that public Wi-Fi networks can be risky environments. A quick Google search or social media browsing will likely reveal headlines such as: "All Wi-Fi Networks Vulnerable to Hacking," published by Guardian, or from Harvard Business Review: "Why You Need to Stop Using Public Wi-Fi," which should provide enough evidence.
What should IT and business managers consider when reviewing options to enhance the security of a Wi-Fi network? First and foremost, you must accept that you may not know everything about critical Wi-Fi networks.
Denial and complacency could result in severe network security incidents; hiding head in the ground wont save your business any longer than dial-up modems would.
These Hardware Refreshes Have Been Scheduled In Advance
Replacing desktops and notebooks is no longer as frequent; Intel and Microsoft used to release microprocessors with performance improvements that coincided with regular hardware refresh cycles back then; companies now tend to keep their fleet longer due to increasing consumerization of IT, widespread adoption of cloud computing services, mobile devices computing capabilities, etc.
However, such thinking could prove dangerous when applied to the hardware used to support your Wi-Fi network. Can your access point keep pace with how many Wi-Fi devices each employee brings into work and consider who might be streaming music or videos over your network?
Think about all the wear and tear your Wi-Fi hardware must withstand dirt, humidity, and heat - plus utility fluctuations like spikes and surges that affect it regularly.
As part of your SecurEdge WAaS investment plan, upgrading hardware every 48 months should keep your network current while also helping protect Wi-Fi hardware from reaching its serviceable lifespan and avoid emergency downtime.
Furthermore, capital expenses can easily be added to IT operating costs for easier budgeting.
Upgrades Are Always Ongoing
In an ideal world, all would go perfectly: no malicious hackers trying to gain entry, disgruntled employees would remain satisfied, utility power would never fail, and IT vulnerabilities wouldnt keep popping up at an alarmingly rapid rate.
But reality often forces itself upon us in unexpected ways. Thus, ongoing software upgrades are necessary to safeguard ourselves against security risks and vulnerabilities that appear frequently.
Your Wi-Fi service and company do not exist in an airtight cocoon; as a business manager or IT administrator, you must safeguard their integrity and network security.
Regular software updates are one of the best ways to achieve this objective and boost performance while patching vulnerabilities that emerge over time.
Users of desktops, laptops, and smartphones alike have become familiar with regular updates being applied regularly to their systems.
Updates should be regularly applied to your Wi-Fi network hardware, which many neglect. Though updating may seem cumbersome or irrelevant to many, its essential.
Managed Network Services
Small business owners frequently don multiple hats when running a company. From sales manager and HR director to office manager, IT representative, accountant, or customer service rep, in short, every role needs to be filled by someone in some capacity or another.
With time this chaos should eventually reduce as more specialized talents become available within each role within their firm.
Even at firms staffed by IT specialists, employees often must perform more work with limited resources available - an experience often overwhelming and made more daunting by keeping pace with Wi-Fi security challenges in a business environment.
SecurEdge WLAN can be an ideal solution for businesses that lack a large IT staff at each location, as your Wi-Fi security can be managed on an ongoing basis by experts based on managed network services rather than hiring direct experts for each site.
Furthermore, these managed network services may prove more affordable than hiring individual experts to cover these locations individually.
Expert Wireless Design
Contrary to what may have been stated on wireless router packages from big box retail stores, designing high-performance networks beyond one room with only a few devices can be challenging.
Every wireless implementation varies considerably, just as purchasing an elliptical machine for a home fitness center differs significantly from developing an effective fitness plan with your family members.
When developing a reliable wireless network, its crucial to consider several factors, including facility size and configuration, wall composition and interference from environmental conditions, device types used, and their respective applications.
Cloud Network Management
Your company is dedicated to maintaining reliable Wi-Fi service, so you have likely done everything from managing hardware updates, updating software versions, streamlining operations for daily operations, and designing expert Wi-Fi designs to ensure reliable Wi-Fi service.
What other aspects should you keep in mind?
Are You the Business Owner/IT Manager Responsible for Your Wireless Network? Do You Want an Easy Way to Monitor its Health In Real-time as Well as Troubleshoot and Onboard New Users? Luckily there is software that makes monitoring wireless networks simple: IWave Network Health Monitor! This application lets business owners or IT managers monitor whether all is operating as it should on the network in real-time while at the same time onboarding new users to your wireless network!
SecurEdge Cloud, available exclusively to SecurEdge WaaS clients, was built on Aruba Airwave technology. This tool pulls data from your network and displays it on an adaptable dashboard for easier management and analysis.
SecurEdge Cloud was developed with business managers without technical savvy in mind, yet still powerful enough to cover every important aspect of Wi-Fi security. SecurEdge Cloud can be easily reached from any location around the globe.
IoT Performance Sensors
Theres another technology worth keeping in mind when considering Wi-Fi management options: performance sensors. The Internet of Things may still be relatively novel; however, its applications and industries have already embraced its usage.
Home automation technology has long existed. Since 2011, with the release of Nest Learning Thermostat, consumers have begun realizing its advantages.
IoT sensors that monitor and manage Wi-Fi networks can also be utilized similarly. SecurEdge WAaS works by placing performance sensors where users and devices require reliable wireless networks, then quickly pinpointing performance problems to address user complaints.
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The Bottom Line
As more devices and applications are added to an infrastructure that may already be fragile, your company becomes even more dependent on wireless network infrastructure.
Your Wi-Fi service should never present you with risks like performance degradation, security breaches, or emergency outages at an inconvenient moment. Do not be deceived: understanding the requirements of secure software development and securing a wireless network can be daunting, so professional advice may be best used to ensure it performs to expectations.
