Wireless Security Through the Airwaves
With so many wireless networks around these days a special problem is presented to the network administrators. Data security is crucial in computer networks and when the signals are flying through the airwaves this data can be intercepted and fall into the wrong hands.
The transmission of data now goes through an extra process of encoding it before going out into cyberspace. This process is called encryption. Wireless security requires data encryption because it is quite easy for data thieves to capture data while it is in the air of a wireless network.
Intruders can enter wireless networks through access points. Networks are often stationary and wired through cables and telephone lines. This arrangement is called a LAN or a WAN. This is a Local Area Network or a Wide Area Network. However, the determination of how local is local, and how wide is wide, is sometimes arbitrary. In any event, networks today often have remote computers. They are often laptops (but sometimes cell phones and other devices) that access their wired networks using a device called a hub. This access from remote and often mobile sources can be a great boon to business, but these devices also create access points where inclined intruders can ultimately tap into the main wired network where the data is kept.
Intrusions come in all shapes and sizes
There are different categories of intrusions. Some are deliberate and some are simply accidental since computers can so easily tap into wireless air signals. If the breach of the network is unintended this is called Accidental Association. This may be harmless but it is a wireless security risk and can be exploited by either accessing data or possible sharing of data with another organization that may also be wirelessly connected but the network signals overlap.
Deliberate intent is of course much worse and is called Malicious Association. Every computer has its own IP address; it identifies it to the network. With some sneaky software a computer can be made to look like it is part of the network fooling the security software that monitors IP addresses. This could easily be done from a nearby parking lot or other building. This access can allow a person to gain passwords or even plant viruses in the company network.
How it all began
There are other various types of access to wireless networks as well. Many are used to attack a network with disruptions and malicious intent. However there are ways to thwart these assaults. In the beginning there were measures to encrypt or encode the data that travels in the airwaves. This was called Wireless Equivalent Privacy. Unfortunately this soon became obsolete when ambitious hackers could break the codes and gather the data. Unscrupulous programmers also aided and abetted in the ongoing battle by writing software that simplified and computerized this code cracking.
Over the years, the efforts to make wireless data safer and more securely encrypted went through many evolutions. Like old military coding, one by one the wireless security methods failed as crackers broke the codes. The most state of the art encryption available today is called WIPS, for Wireless Intrusion Prevention System. No doubt this too will be commonly cracked and another wireless encryption scheme will come along to top it.
Keep up the fight
Philosophically, keeping wireless data safe is an eternal war between good and evil. Since the world doesn’t seem to be able to be rid itself of evildoers all that can be done is to keep on fighting against it. You still hear news stories of how whole batches of credit card numbers and even Social Security numbers are stolen and many individuals can tell the tales of how their personal data became a victim. In the modern world though we can only do so much to keep data secure and it probably never will be perfected.