Wireless networks & Security

Learning outcome 1: Understand the global nature of WLAN standards and design.

Learning outcome 2: Be able to describe, explain critically and assess wireless and mobile data communication technologies deployed along with associated security issues.

Learning outcome 3: Apply suitable security measures to protect wireless networks against known weaknesses

Learning outcome 4: Demonstrate their ability to work in culturally diverse groups and teams and make appropriate and personal contributions to team effectiveness

Assignment - Wireless LAN vulnerabilities assessment

You are to perform a study on various 802.11 wireless networks in order to choose a suitable security measure that should be put in place for a given scenario.

This assignment is divided in two parts. The study will be partially theoretical and technical. The technical part (part A) will requires you to evaluate the effectiveness of using various standards against known attacks. You will then in part B identify what are the security measures that the company in the chosen scenario should consider implementing.

Part A: Technical flaws research

You will need to investigate several known security flaws on the various 802.11 security protocols. You should demonstrate that were able to exploit those security flaws by exploiting them in your test environment either at home or in the lab.
You should also consider the various possible types of deployment such as in infrastructure deployment of 802.11 or in enterprise mode.

1. WLAN authentication if SSID is hidden and if administrators use MAC filtering.
2. WLAN encryption flaws (WEP, WPA2).
3. 802.11 clients and identify flaws and they can be exploited.

Part B: Scenario based interpretation

Based on your findings in part A, you are required to analyse results obtained and choose suitable security measures for your chosen scenario. Following this, you are expected to defend your security choices by comparing your justifications with different research papers discussing the effectiveness of wireless security protocols in different environments.

Effectiveness of the chosen security measures should be evaluated in term of how they can be exploited (if possible), how suitable they are for the environment they will be used in and the threats that the scenario is subject to.
You will need to choose one scenario from the list below:

• A small company that only allows staff to access the network.
• A coffee shop that allows its customers to access the wireless network.

• A large company that has various levels of access controls in their company.
• Guests only network where people can use the network for a specific time.
• A home family wireless network.

Instructions

• You are required to use the template available in assessment page (IEEE template)
• You are expected to use research papers and reference them in your document.