WIRELESS SECURITY: AN OVERVIEW
---
paper_title: 802.11: leaving the wire behind

paper_content:

Wireless networking applications continue to proliferate at an incredible pace as wireless features, functions, security, and throughput improve. 802.11 is the standard on which wireless networking exists today, and products that employ the technology support a broad range of uses for enterprises and home users. With such explosive growth in infrastructure and applications, understanding some basics about the technology, and its limitations, can be very helpful amid claims from competing vendors about what 802.11 can do and what the future has in store. The author explores the current environment of 802.11 wireless networking technologies and where the dialog in the standards bodies appears to be leading the industry. The primary focus is 802.11b.
---

Title: Wireless Security: An Overview

Section 1: WLAN Security for 802.11
Description 1: Discuss the security challenges and mechanisms for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) particularly focusing on the 802.11 standard.

Section 2: Wireless Physical Transport
Description 2: Explain the physical transport methods for wireless signals including RF and IR, and the spread spectrum techniques.

Section 3: WLAN Architecture
Description 3: Describe the architecture of WLANs including BSS and ESS, and how stations and access points are structured and communicate.

Section 4: WLAN Security Exploits
Description 4: Outline common security exploits specific to WLANs such as insertion attacks, interception, DOS, client-to-client attacks, brute force attacks, encryption attacks, and misconfiguration.

Section 5: Basic 802.11 Security
Description 5: Detail the basic security mechanisms used in 802.11 WLANs including SSID, MAC address filtering, and WEP security.

Section 6: WAP Protocol 1.X
Description 6: Provide an overview of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) 1.X, its protocol stack, and security features designed for mobile and wireless networks.

Section 7: WAP Protocol
Description 7: Explain the improvements in security brought by WAP 2.0 compared to 1.X, including the integration of TLS for better end-to-end security.

Section 8: Wireless Application Environment (WAE)
Description 8: Discuss the WAP Wireless Application Environment (WAE) layer and its role in executing applications and providing services for wireless devices.

Section 9: WAP and Internet Access
Description 9: Describe how WAP uses proxy technology to connect wireless devices to the web and the challenges of adapting internet standards for low-bandwidth wireless networks.

Section 10: Best Practices for WiFi Security
Description 10: Offer best practices for securing WLANs, including the use of WEP, changing default keys, employing session keys, configuring SSIDs, using MAC filtering, and possibly deploying VPNs.

Section 11: Security: Summary
Description 11: Summarize the security issues with WLANs and the ongoing efforts to address them, including potential future standards and solutions like AES and 802.1x specifications.