Wireless and Mobile Device Security, 2nd Edition

When an Attacker Gains Unauthorized Control

As you have seen with ad hoc networks, it’s possible for an attacker to gain unauthorized access to and control of an 802.11 network simply because device authentication is not robust. You can secure access points from unauthorized authentication and association by using WEP and WPA (for casual “free” access) or the more robust WPA2. WEP and WPA can be cracked with off-the-shelf tools and should never be used if WPA2 is available. However, WPA2 is not the answer for hotel or café hotspots. In these cases, device authentication and association must take place at Layer 1 and Layer 2, and user authentication must follow at the Network or Application Layer, driven by web browser username/password challenges. ...