Wireless Security

Many of the wireless security problems we hear about have to do with the use of weak encryption standards such as WEP. Although the newer WPA2 standard has made a significant improvement in wireless security, additional weaknesses in wireless devices do exist and remain a security issue if not patched such as the vulnerability in Wi-Fi device drivers. Aruba Networks has released a free Wi-Fi driver vulnerability assessment tool that helps you determine how secure your wireless devices are and which Wi-Fi clients need to be patched. The tool will search your PC or the entire network using the WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) API and identify every PC with a vulnerable wireless LAN device driver. For more information: http://labs.arubanetworks.com/projects/wifidenum/

Additional free tools and information for assessing wireless vulnerabilities:

To check for SSID broadcasts and open or rogue access points, use NetStumbler: http://www.netstumbler.com/

A more powerful tool is Kismet, a wireless network detector, sniffer, and intrusion detection system all in one: http://www.kismetwireless.net/

Ethereal (now called WireShark - http://www.wireshark.org/) is also for testing wireless traffic but must be used in conjunction with AirPcap: (http://www.cacetech.com/products/index.htm)

Bluetooth devices (mobile phones, PDAs, wireless keyboards, etc.) are susceptible to eavesdropping and attacks. To test the security of your devices, consider using BlueScanner for Windows (http://www.bluescanner.org/) or BlueSniff for Linux (http://bluetooth.shmoo.com/).

For penetration testing, auditing, and patch management, security managers should be aware of the Metasploit Framework, which is a collection of tools, libraries, modules, and user interfaces that automates testing or exploitation (depending on which hat you wear): http://metasploit.com/

For more information on security, check out the SANS Institute (http://www.sans.org/). They have an extensive collection of free resources (white papers, video/podcasts, RSS feeds) and they offer a variety of security training classes. For example, their GSEC class discusses most of these tools.

One final note...this article, "Practice 'safe surfing' with public Wi-Fi signals," will help you assess the risks of using a public Wi-Fi and more importantly, it provides a step-by-step guide for configuring your laptop and limiting your risks when connecting to a wireless hotspot: http://WindowsSecrets.com/comp/070614

Stay safe!