Security Issues of Wireless Networks
Introduction
Wireless networks are systems that utilize radio waves for sending information. Radio waves have been discovered to hold the capacity to spread in all direction. They as well hold the strength to disseminate comparatively in a wide range. This denotes that radio waves are not easy to control or restrain to a certain position. The spreading of radio waves is three-dimensional. This indicates that radio waves can be spread from one floor in a building to another. This spreading is brought out by a high level of moderating. The key safety danger of wireless networks is the fact that anyone can plug into wireless networks. Thus taping in is likely to take place even beyond the site where the network has been established. This has led to critical concern of a wireless network being fitted in a building devoid of authority of the administration. For example, a worker can at ease tap in an access point in a port of data as well as the material and information on the network is easy to reach the people and those in the dissemination scope of the wireless network (Herrmann 67).
Wireless Networks Security Issues
The initial course for safety issue on wireless networks is the idea that they depend on radio waves to disseminate as well as transfer data from the source to the recipient. Radio waves are liable to numerous safety issues. Among these security concerns is the theory referred to as war-driving. Wireless networks are not hard to receive and this has caused many people to roam in search of free wireless networks. These people come with personal digital assistant (PDA) or a laptop that can acquire internet. The exercise of war-driving is a massive menace to wireless networks globally. This can be accredited to the idea that many individuals are making use of illegal entry into internet utilizing wireless network friendly devices, which make it easy to download data as well as records. This can lead to clogging network capacity due to the high use of the bandwidth. This has been an issue that had caused networks in diverse parts of the globe to be destructively impacted as well as trailing in their download prowess. Hence, the effect of reduced efficiency of a wireless network (Kuo 108).
It is as well vital to keep in mind that specialized war driving has grown immensely, in the sense that wireless networks that are open are specifically devised via the Global Positioning System. These maps are utilized by war drivers to find these networks. This infers that individuals can utilize their equipment to get hold of net utilizing the open networks. Nevertheless, this as well puts the wireless networks at the threat of being accessed by individuals who with hateful objectives (Singh 9).
The susceptibility of wireless networks has been improved by the growth of war chalking. This is the procedure whereby a group of people will find a sign language to ascertain sites where there unprotected wireless networks. For example, students in London have been known to have discovered a sign language that aided other students find sits where there are wireless networks. It is imperative to keep in mind that this has been discovered to hold destructive impact on the wireless networks easily found in a certain area. Sign language has utilized to portray the accessibility of wireless networks, which has the impact of attracting a lot of people in these areas. This is as well caused the clogging of wireless networks in diverse regions in the globe. This lessens the effectiveness of the wireless network. It as well aids in making sure that the network is susceptible to mischievous individuals who may utilize then network to be in possession of another company’s data illegally. This can put this company in danger as well as its undertakings due to high bandwidth utilization from the same network (Sen 1529).
Several dangers have been established for impacting unprotected wireless networks. They incorporate data interception cracking, denial of service as well as transmission jamming. Data inception has been improved by the fact that wireless networks are not protected by default. This infers that everyone get hold off wireless networks. This makes it easy for people to hear communications send via the network. Individually, this pinpoints extremely little danger. This can be attributed to the fact that information spread via a network is hardly private. Nevertheless, the information may be private and this could lead to hostile impacts on the people. Corporations in contrast are more likely to face dangers when it comes to data interception. This can be accredited to the fact that the information that has been interrupted could be used to destroy the corporation or its shareholders. Rivals take advantage of this illegal data to damage a company (Kuo 102).
Network intrusion is the other danger concern. The moment a resident network has an easy to get point fitted on it, it lets any station to get hold of the network. This as well makes it easy for the station to acquire net. This suggests that hackers are presented a wonderful chance of getting into the network of company whenever there is inclusion of unprotected wireless network in the surrounding. This allows a hacker to have an opening of getting into data via theft. The hacker can damage the data held on the network. Nevertheless, these dangers are linked with illegal use of network to use net. The access can be used by mischievous hackers to implement cyber-attacks or damage data of a company. The issue is aggravated by the verity that it is quite hard to ascertain hackers using the wireless network. This has shifted the duty of cyber-attackers to corporate as well as companies that have installed wireless network that has been utilized to implement cyber-attacks (Hermann 403).
Radio wave jamming is the other problem. Radio waves are quite vulnerable to any kind of interception. This expounds the motive why signals are jammed at ease by radio waves with a nearby frequency in contrast to that used by the wireless network. Wireless networks engineers have accounted cases whereby a microwave has had these severe effects on a wireless network, hence they have been reduced fully impractical. This infers that the company or venture is in danger of encountering network issues due to jammed radio waves. Essentially, the verity that rivals and mischievous people have been known to intentionally jam the radio waves of corporations (Zhao 76).
Service denial is the other critical issue. Numerous wireless networks utilize the 802.11 standard network access protocols. These protocols are established on the CSMA/CA, which includes waiting until the network is clear prior to data flames can be disseminated. Following the foundation of the link, a station will be connected to the access point. This will make it easy for the station to transmit data packets. As the access method to a network is recognized, hackers easily get into transmitted packets that are utilized to distance a station from the network. Hackers are known to send data that intercepts information dispersion and this is known as denial of service attack. It is imperative to keep in mind that linking to a wireless network uses power. This infers that although in a circumstance where wireless outlying tools have facets that aid conserving power, a hacker still has the capacity of transmitting enough encrypted information to a PC for the data to overload the PC. As many portal wireless network peripheral are branded by reserved battery life, hackers may reduce the service inoperative via inflicting power use that will make the device unable to access internet. This kind of uncertainty is known as battery exhaustion attack (Sharma 669).
Likelihood of a Wireless Network Attack
Wireless networks are most susceptible networks globally. In spite of this susceptibility wireless networks have turn into most prevalent that certain individuals fail to think of life without internet. Certain corporations have provided their customers the chance to get into free internet when they are embracing their services. For example, hotels, fast food joints as well as coffee houses are known to provide customers and patrons with free wireless internet. This denotes that these businesses do not have protection actions that are focused on securing their networks. This can accredited to the verity that they have to put their wireless networks unprotected so that the patrons can make use of the internet at ease. This has as well aided in making sure that hackers can get into the wireless internet (Garg 121).
The fact that wireless networks make it easy for individuals to move faster as well as link successfully to the net shows that hackers are provided the same speed as well as efficacy in getting into wireless networks in unauthorized way. It has been founded out that 25% of wireless network are unprotected as well as susceptible to hackers. Via utilizing poorly secured networks or not able to safeguard the networks, corporate and individual networks are put in danger by invaders. Interruption can be quite damaging to the privacy of ventures and individuals. For example, a corporation that saves its customers details in file servers as well as uses insecure networks may put their customers into damage. These servers and files may keep private data, which hackers may use to destroy the company (Mavridis 114).
Mitigation of Insecurity Issues in Wireless Networks
Wireless networks are known to be quite helpful in operation of a company. These networks enhance efficacy in the company. Businesses and families that use wireless networks ought to install a secondary and user level links to power networks. This aids in making sure that intruders that break network security will not be able to get into the business network (Li et al 57).
It is imperative to consider the verity that hotels, bars, pubs as well as fast food restaurants require free network to their patrons. These networks are known as public wireless connections. Clients anticipate these wireless networks to be accessible to them whenever they hang around their buildings. This suggests that open networks are have to be secured. Being unable to secure these wireless networks will cause a circumstance where clients may as well utilize these networks to sniff traffic and get hold of cookies from other clients that are using the wireless network. Nevertheless, companies have been ascertained to put their networks in danger in an attempt to have a good status amongst their customers. For example, only 12 percent of public networks are secured in the US. The finest means for the wireless networks to be secured is via an encryption key that is provided to clients who have bought a commodity (Kelsey 131).
Conclusion
Wireless networks consider technological development in the information and communication technology sector. Nevertheless, the verity that they utilize radio waves has made them extremely susceptible to dangers. This denotes that people and corporates ought to make sure that they safeguard their networks to shun being targets to intruders who can utilize the networks to get hold of data that can destroy the venture and the individuals who embrace these wireless networks. It is imperative to keep in mind that intruders have been provided an improved route to get hold of confidential networks via wireless networks.
Works Cited
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Zhao, Xi. “Research on the Construct Campus Wireless Network Security based on the Integrated Technologies.” Journal of Convergence Information Technology 8.7 (2013).