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Chapter 8 Securing Information Systems 327

those for illegal music sharing, may also transmit malicious software or expose
information on either individual or corporate computers to outsiders.

Wireless Security Challenges
Is it safe to log onto a wireless network at an airport, library, or other public
location? It depends on how vigilant you are. Even the wireless network in
your home is vulnerable because radio frequency bands are easy to scan. Both
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi networks are susceptible to hacking by eavesdroppers. Local
area networks (LANs) using the 802.11 standard can be easily penetrated by out-
siders armed with laptops, wireless cards, external antennae, and hacking soft-
ware. Hackers use these tools to detect unprotected networks, monitor network
traffic, and, in some cases, gain access to the Internet or to corporate networks.
Wi-Fi transmission technology was designed to make it easy for stations to
find and hear one another. The service set identifiers (SSIDs) that identify the
access points in a Wi-Fi network are broadcast multiple times and can be
picked up fairly easily by intruders’ sniffer programs (see Figure 8.2). Wireless
networks in many locations do not have basic protections against war driving,
in which eavesdroppers drive by buildings or park outside and try to intercept
wireless network traffic.
An intruder that has associated with an access point by using the correct
SSID is capable of accessing other resources on the network. For example, the
intruder could use the Windows operating system to determine which other
users are connected to the network, access their computer hard drives, and
open or copy their files.

FIGURE 8.2 WI-FI SECURITY CHALLENGES

Many Wi-Fi networks can be penetrated easily by intruders using sniffer programs to obtain an
address to access the resources of a network without authorization.

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