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242 Chapter 4 • Communication Security: Wireless

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) uses a wide band of frequency.
DSSS is faster and more secure than FHSS. It uses a frequency range from
2.4 GHz. to 2.4835 GHz. and is used in most 802.11b networks.

WAP is a protocol for most handheld wireless devices. Operating systems
such as Microsoft Windows CE, JavaOS and PalmOS use WAP.

In a wireless network the AP is known as the authenticator and the client
is known as the supplicant.
The IEEE 802.1x specification uses the EAP to provide for client
authentication

Wireless Vulnerabilities

Examining the common threats to both wired and wireless networks
provides a solid understanding in the basics of security principles and
allows the network administrator to fully assess the risks associated with
using wireless and other technologies.

Threats can come from simple design issues, where multiple devices utilize
the same setup, or intentional DoS attacks, which can result in the
corruption or loss of data.
Malicious users are not the source of all threats.They can also be caused
by a conflict of similar resources, such as with 802.11b networks and
cordless telephones.
With wireless networks going beyond the border of the office or home,
chances are greater that users’ actions may be monitored by a third party.
Electronic eavesdropping, or sniffing, is passive and undetectable to
intrusion detection devices.

Tools that can be used to sniff networks are available for Windows (such as
Wireshark and AiroPeek) and UNIX (such as TCPDump and ngrep).

Sniffing traffic allows attackers to identify additional resources that can be
compromised.
Even encrypted networks have been shown to disclose vital information in
cleartext, such as the network name, that can be received by attackers
sniffing the WLAN.

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