Hacking For Dummies, 6th Edition

Chapter 10

Wireless Networks

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding the risks of wireless networks

Selecting wireless network hacking tools

Cracking wireless encryption

Minimizing wireless network risks

Wireless local area networks (or Wi-Fi) — specifically, the ones based on the IEEE 802.11 standard — are deployed in many business and home network. Wi-Fi was the poster child for weak security and network attacks since the inception of 802.11. The stigma of unsecure Wi-Fi is starting to wane, but now isn’t the time to lower your defenses.

Wi-Fi offers a ton of business value, from convenience to reduced network deployment time. Whether or not your organization allows wireless network access, you probably have it, so testing for Wi-Fi security vulnerabilities is critical.

In this chapter, I cover some common wireless network security vulnerabilities that you should test for, and I discuss some cheap, easy countermeasures that you can implement to ensure that Wi-Fi isn’t more of a risk to your organization than it’s worth.

Understanding the Implications of Wireless Network Vulnerabilities ...