Wi-Fi has become an integral part of everyday business and life in general, yet Wi-Fi security still doesn’t receive as much attention or investment as it should. According to Wi-Fi NOW, nearly 75 percent of US smartphone traffic runs over Wi-Fi, as of Q4 2018. This spells a significant amount of opportunity for bad guys looking to attack unsuspecting users over under-secured or unprotected Wi-Fi connections. Due to the overall rise of smart devices and their reliance on Wi-Fi networks, we can’t afford to wait any longer to get serious about redefining Wi-Fi with security in mind.
What types of security threats target Wi-Fi specifically? In his latest guest article for Network Computing, Ryan Orsi, director of product management at WatchGuard, details the six known Wi-Fi threat categories your network must be able to block, and why more IT departments are developing Trusted Wireless Environments capable of automatically detecting and preventing them. Here’s a quick look at the first threat:
Rogue APs: A rogue AP is an AP that has been physically connected to a network without explicit authorization from an administrator. It’s an instant PCI-DSS violation. Rogue APs are connected to the authorized network, allowing the attackers to bypass perimeter security. Wi-Fi systems need to detect if a signal in the air is being broadcast from an AP physically connected to the authorized network. If so, it needs to be able to prevent the Rogue AP from gaining access to the LAN, which is typically done via ARP poisoning. It should also be able to prevent Wi-Fi clients from associating to it, usually via a surgical flood of deauthentication frames.
Read the full story on Network Computing to learn about the other five Wi-Fi threat categories you need to be aware of today. For more information about the Trusted Wireless Environment movement and how to build one, visit here. And be sure to sign up for the Secplicity Email Newsletter for more Wi-Fi security news and best practices!