Securing wireless networks
Items to consider when implementing a secured wireless implementation include:
Client and access point authentication
Wireless network encryption
A quick note on SSID cloaking and MAC filtering
It was once thought that simply hiding or cloaking the presence of the wireless network was sufficient to thwart attackers. And adding MAC address filtering to limit host access was considered a valid method to "authenticate" hosts. Both of these methods have proven to be ineffective to secure a wireless network implementation. Cloaking or attempting to hide an SSID is easily undermined by the inherent nature of wireless network communication design. When a host has already connected to a hidden network, the next time the wireless card is enabled, the hosts will automatically send a beacon frame with the SSID in an attempt to find an access point serving the network. This traffic is sent in the clear and can be sniffed out of the airwaves. Once the network SSID is broadcast...
