WPA aims to finish the job WEP started: what to know before it does - Internet

Computer Technology Review,  Nov, 2003  by Louis Raphael

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The good news about WiFi is that it enables employees to work outside of the traditional office space, thus improving overall company productivity. The bad news is that the days of using the old excuse that you never received that critical company e-mail because you were "out of the office and in meetings all day"--may soon come to an end.

Gartner analysts estimate that by 2005, 80% of all commercial notebooks sold will be wireless-enabled. They also predict that by 2005, 50% of Fortune 1000 companies will have extensively deployed wireless LAN technology based on the latest 802.11 standards. And, by 2010, the majority of Fortune 2000 companies will have deployed wireless LANs to support standard wired network technology LANs.

Does this mean that a Jetsons-inspired society with people regularly beaming information from their laptops to company servers from hotels, airport lounges, conference centers--Starbucks and McDonald's--is in our future? For many, the answer is yes. But not so fast. One major roadblock that needs to be overcome is the lack of security that arises from having all of this valuable information floating around in our airwaves for any hacker to take.

According to Dr. Ron Sperano, director of mobile market development at IBM's Personal Computing Division, adopting a wireless LAN is a wise decision. "Financial justification comes from two areas; cable versus no cable and increased productivity." He continued, "WLANs can be less expensive than wired LANs due to the high cost of cabling and maintenance; however this varies by location. The real justification for WLANs is due to the increased employee productivity. Employees can maintain high-speed connectivity anywhere on campus, at home and on the road."

But prior to implementing a wireless solution, companies need to ask themselves these three basic questions:

* Is there a need for mobility?

* Where is the financial justification?

* Can it be made secure?

Rundown of the Latest IEEE Standards

There is a thin cloud of confusion as to the numerous wireless standards that have been implemented by the IEEE. As of today, there are four--with 802.11b having the largest company install-base. In order of appearance and certification, they are as follows: 802.11b, 802.11a--and the latest and greatest, recently certified and more costly--802.11g. (802.11i, should be coming out, too, by the end of this year or the beginning of next.) What differentiates each of them is mainly their speed and frequency.

802.11b operates at a 2.4-GHZ range and has a maximum throughput of 11Mbps. The more advanced 802.11a standard operates at a 5-GHZ frequency and has a throughput of 54Mbps. While the latest, g standard has the high throughput of 54Mbps and operates like the b standard at 2.4GHZ. As far as interoperability is concerned--and forgive me if this brings back bad memories of Statistics 101--b is compatible with g, g is compatible with b but only at b's throughput, and a--the most difficult one out of the bunch--is compatible with neither but is willing to cohabitate with either within the same device.

Documented Risks

Now that we know the technology that's out there, let's examine the risks involved in implementing it. In a recent survey by Jupiter Research, out of 500 companies polled, less than half had implemented security procedures for their wireless architecture. According to a whitepaper written by Internet Security Systems (ISS) entitled "Wireless LAN Security," apart from the widely known encryption attacks already made public about the 802.11b standard, the others that fall into these six categories:

* Rogue access points

* Interception and unauthorized monitoring of wireless traffic

* Jamming

* Client-to-client attacks

* Brute force attacks against access point passwords

* Misconfigurations

Rogue Access Points

Insertion attacks happen when hackers use unauthorized devices to create new wireless networks without going through proper procedure. What may facilitate this process--and what many organizations may not be aware of--is that internal employees may have deployed their own wireless capabilities onto company networks. This lack of awareness could lead to the previously described attacks, with unauthorized clients gaining access to corporate resources through what are called "rogue" access points. To avoid hackers taking advantage of this, companies need to implement policies designed to secure the configuration of access points.

Interception and Monitoring of Wireless Traffic

As you can imagine, interception of wireless traffic is similar to the interception of wired traffic. Whereas a wired attacker needs to be where there is a functioning network connection to attack, the wireless attacker needs only to be within range of an access point (approximately 300 feet for 802.11b) to carry out his attack. Also keep in mind that implementing directional antennas can drastically extend either the transmission or reception range of WiFi products. Therefore, the 300-foot maximum range commonly attributed to 802.11b, only applies to bare installations. Enhanced equipment will also enhance the chances of others picking up the signal. This is amplified by the fact that access points transmit their signals in circular patterns. All this to say that the 802.11b signal, by nature, extends beyond the physical boundaries of the work area it is intended to cover. This signal can therefore be intercepted outside of buildings, or even between floors of the same building.