Security technologies for wireless access to local area networks

In today’s world, computers and networks are connected to all life aspects and professions. The amount of information, personal and organizational, spread over the network is increasing exponentially. Simultaneously, malicious attacks are being developed at the same speed, which makes having a secure network system a crucial factor on every level and in any organization. Achieving a high protection level has been the goal of many organizations, such as the Wi-Fi Alliance R , and many standards and protocols have been developed over time. This work addresses the historical development of WLAN security technologies, starting from the oldest standard, WEP, and reaching the newly released standard WPA3, passing through the several versions in between,WPA, WPS, WPA2, and EAP. Along with WPA3, this work addresses two newer certificates, Enhanced OpenTM and Easy ConnectTM. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the previous standards is also presented, detailing their security mechanisms, flaws, attacks, and the measures they have adopted to prevent these attacks. Focusing on the new released WPA3, this work presents a deep study on both WPA3 and EAP-pwd. The development of WPA3 had the objective of providing strong protection, even if the network’s password is considered weak. However, this objective was not fully accomplished and some recent research work discovered design flaws in this new standard. Along with the above studies, this master thesis’ work builds also a network for penetration testing using a set of new devices that support the new standard. A group of possible attacks onWi-Fi latest security standards was implemented on the network, testing the response against each of them, discussing the reason behind the success or the failure of the attack, and providing a set of countermeasures applicable against these attacks. Obtained results show that WPA3 has overcome many of WPA2’s issues, however, it is still unable to overcome some major Wi-Fi vulnerabilities.No mundo de hoje, os computadores e as redes estão conectados praticamente a todos os aspectos da nossa vida pessoal e profissional. A quantidade de informações, pessoais e organizacionais, espalhadas pela rede está a aumentar exponencialmente. Simultaneamente, também os ataques maliciosos estão a aumentar à mesma velocidade, o que faz com que um sistema de rede seguro seja um fator crucial a todos os níveis e em qualquer organização. Alcançar altos níveis de proteção tem sido o objetivo de trabalho de muitas organizações, como a Wi-Fi Alliance R , tendo muitos standards e protocolos sido desenvolvidos ao longo do tempo. Este trabalho aborda o desenvolvimento histórico das tecnologias de segurança para WLANs, começando pelo standard mais antigo, WEP, e acabando no recém-chegado WPA3, passando pelas várias versões intermedias, WPA, WPS, WPA2 e EAP. Juntamente com o WPA3, este trabalho aborda os dois certificados mais recentes, Enhanced OpenTM e Easy ConnectTM. Além disso, também é apresentada uma análise comparativa dos standards anteriores, detalhando os seus principais mecanismos de segurança, falhas, ataques a que são susceptíveis e medidas adotadas para evitar esses ataques. Quanto ao novo WPA3 e EAP-pwd, este trabalho apresenta um estudo aprofundado sobre os seus modos "Personal" e "Enterprise". O desenvolvimento do WPA3 teve por objetivo fornecer proteção forte, mesmo que a password de rede seja considerada fraca. No entanto, esse objetivo não foi totalmente alcançado e alguma investigação realizada recentemente detectou falhas de desenho nesse novo padrão. Juntamente com os estudo dos standards acima referidos, o trabalho realizado para esta tese de mestrado também constrói uma rede para testes de penetração usando um conjunto de novos dispositivos que já suportam o novo standard. São aplicados vários ataques aos mais recentes padrões de segurança Wi-Fi, é testada a sua resposta contra cada um deles, é discutindo o motivo que justifica o sucesso ou a falha do ataque, e são indicadas contramedidas aplicáveis a esses ataques. Os resultados obtidos mostram que o WPA3 superou muitos dos problemas do WPA2 mas que, no entanto, ainda é incapaz de superar algumas das vulnerabilidades presentes nas redes Wi-Fi.First, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to those who gave me the possibility to complete my study and get my Master degree, the Aga Khan Foundation, who has supported me financiall

The Measurable Environment as Nonintrusive Authentication Factor on the Example of WiFi Beacon Frames

We explore a method to fingerprint a location in terms of its measurable environment to create an authentication factor that is nonintrusive in the sense that a user is not required to engage in the authentication process actively. Exemplary, we describe the measurable environment by beacon frames from the WiFi access points in the user’s proximity. To use the measurable environment for authentication, measurements must be sufficiently discriminating between locations and similar at the same location. An authentication factor built from the measurable environment allows us to describe a user’s location in terms of measurable signals. Describing a location in terms of its measurable signals implies that we do not require an actual geographical mapping of the user’s location; comparing the measured signals is sufficient to create a location-based authentication factor. Only recognizing an earlier observed environment distinguishes our approach from other location-based authentication factors. We elaborate on using signals in the user’s environment in the background without user involvement to create a privacy-preserving but nonintrusive authentication factor suitable for integration into existing multi-factor authentication schemes.</p

Security issues in Internet of Things

The main idea behind the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) is to connect all kinds of everyday objects, thus enabling them to communicate to each other and enabling people to communicate to them. IoT is an extensive concept that encompasses a wide range of technologies and applications. This document gives an introduction to what the IoT is, its fundamental characteristics and the enabling technologies that are currently being used. However, the technologies for the IoT are still evolving and maturing, leading to major challenges that need to be solved for a successful deployment of the IoT. Security is one of the most significant ones. Security issues may represent the greatest obstacle to general acceptance of the IoT. This document presents an assessment of the IoT security goals, its threats and the security requirements to achieve the goals. A survey on a representative set of already deployed IoT technologies is done to assess the current state of the art with regards to security. For each solution, a description of its functionality, its security options and the issues found in the literature is given. Finally, the common issues are identified and a set of future solutions are given.La idea principal detrás del concepto de Internet de las cosas (IoT) es conectar todo tipo de objetos cotidianos, para permitir comunicarse entre sí y que personas se comuniquen con ellos. IoT es un amplio concepto que abarca una extensa gama de tecnologías y aplicaciones. Este documento da una introducción a lo que es el IoT, sus características fundamentales y las tecnologías que se están utilizando actualmente. Sin embargo, las tecnologías usadas en el IoT todavía están en evolución y madurando, dando lugar a grandes desafíos que deben resolverse para un despliegue exitoso del IoT. La seguridad es uno de las más significativos. Los problemas de seguridad pueden representar el mayor obstáculo para la aceptación general del IoT. Este documento presenta una evaluación de los objetivos de seguridad en el IoT, sus amenazas y los requisitos necesarios para alcanzar dichos objetivos. Se realiza un estudio sobre un conjunto representativo de tecnologías IoT en uso para evaluar su estado actual respecto a la seguridad. Para cada solución, se da una descripción de su funcionalidad, sus protecciones y los problemas encontrados. Finalmente, se identifican los problemas comunes y se dan un conjunto de soluciones futuras.La idea principal darrera del concepte d'Internet de les coses (IoT) és connectar tot tipus d'objectes quotidians, per permetre comunicar-se entre sí i que les persones es comuniquin amb ells. IoT és un ampli concepte que engloba una extensa gamma de tecnologies i aplicacions. Aquest document dona una introducció al que és el IoT, les seves característiques fonamentals i les tecnologies que s'estan utilitzant actualment. No obstant, les tecnologies utilitzades en el IoT encara estan evolucionant i madurant, donant lloc a grans reptes que s'han de resoldre per a un desplegament exitós del IoT. La seguretat és un dels reptes més significatius. Els problemes de seguretat poden representar el major obstacle per l'acceptació general de l'IoT. Aquest document presenta una avaluació dels objectius de seguretat en el Iot, les seves amenaces i els requisits necessaris per assolir aquests objectius. Es realitza un estudi sobre un conjunt representatiu de tecnologies IoT en ús per avaluar el seu estat actual respecte a la seguretat. Per cada solució, es dona una descripció de la seva funcionalitat, les seves proteccions i els problemes trobats. Finalment, s'identifiquen els problemes comuns i es donen un conjunt de solucions futures

Applications of Context-Aware Systems in Enterprise Environments

In bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and corporate-owned, personally enabled (COPE) scenarios, employees’ devices store both enterprise and personal data, and have the ability to remotely access a secure enterprise network. While mobile devices enable users to access such resources in a pervasive manner, it also increases the risk of breaches for sensitive enterprise data as users may access the resources under insecure circumstances. That is, access authorizations may depend on the context in which the resources are accessed. In both scenarios, it is vital that the security of accessible enterprise content is preserved. In this work, we explore the use of contextual information to influence access control decisions within context-aware systems to ensure the security of sensitive enterprise data. We propose several context-aware systems that rely on a system of sensors in order to automatically adapt access to resources based on the security of users’ contexts. We investigate various types of mobile devices with varying embedded sensors, and leverage these technologies to extract contextual information from the environment. As a direct consequence, the technologies utilized determine the types of contextual access control policies that the context-aware systems are able to support and enforce. Specifically, the work proposes the use of devices pervaded in enterprise environments such as smartphones or WiFi access points to authenticate user positional information within indoor environments as well as user identities

Security and Privacy for Modern Wireless Communication Systems

The aim of this reprint focuses on the latest protocol research, software/hardware development and implementation, and system architecture design in addressing emerging security and privacy issues for modern wireless communication networks. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the following: deep-learning-based security and privacy design; covert communications; information-theoretical foundations for advanced security and privacy techniques; lightweight cryptography for power constrained networks; physical layer key generation; prototypes and testbeds for security and privacy solutions; encryption and decryption algorithm for low-latency constrained networks; security protocols for modern wireless communication networks; network intrusion detection; physical layer design with security consideration; anonymity in data transmission; vulnerabilities in security and privacy in modern wireless communication networks; challenges of security and privacy in node–edge–cloud computation; security and privacy design for low-power wide-area IoT networks; security and privacy design for vehicle networks; security and privacy design for underwater communications networks

Empirical Techniques To Detect Rogue Wireless Devices

Media Access Control (MAC) addresses in wireless networks can be trivially spoofed using off-the-shelf devices. We proposed a solution to detect MAC address spoofing in wireless networks using a hard-to-spoof measurement that is correlated to the location of the wireless device, namely the Received Signal Strength (RSS). We developed a passive solution that does not require modification for standards or protocols. The solution was tested in a live test-bed (i.e., a Wireless Local Area Network with the aid of two air monitors acting as sensors) and achieved 99.77%, 93.16%, and 88.38% accuracy when the attacker is 8–13 m, 4–8 m, and less than 4 m away from the victim device, respectively. We implemented three previous methods on the same test-bed and found that our solution outperforms existing solutions. Our solution is based on an ensemble method known as Random Forests. We also proposed an anomaly detection solution to deal with situations where it is impossible to cover the whole intended area. The solution is totally passive and unsupervised (using unlabeled data points) to build the profile of the legitimate device. It only requires the training of one location which is the location of the legitimate device (unlike the misuse detection solution that train and simulate the existing of the attacker in every possible spot in the network diameter). The solution was tested in the same test-bed and yield about 79% overall accuracy. We build a misuseWireless Local Area Network Intrusion Detection System (WIDS) and discover some important fields in WLAN MAC-layer frame to differentiate the attackers from the legitimate devices. We tested several machine learning algorithms and found some promising ones to improve the accuracy and computation time on a public dataset. The best performing algorithms that we found are Extra Trees, Random Forests, and Bagging. We then used a majority voting technique to vote on these algorithms. Bagging classifier and our customized voting technique have good results (about 96.25 % and 96.32 %respectively) when tested on all the features. We also used a data mining technique based on Extra Trees ensemble method to find the most important features on AWID public dataset. After selecting the most 20 important features, Extra Trees and our voting technique are the best performing classifiers in term of accuracy (96.31 % and 96.32 % respectively)

An investigation into the deployment of IEEE 802.11 networks

Currently, the IEEE 802.11 standard is the leading technology in the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) market. It provides flexibility and mobility to users, which in turn, increase productivity. Opposed to traditional fixed Local Area Network (LAN) technologies, WLANs are easier to deploy and have lower installation costs. Unfortunately, there are problems inherent within the technology and standard that inhibits its performance. Technological problems can be attributed to the physical medium of a WLAN, the electromagnetic (EM) wave. Standards based problems include security issues and the MAC layer design. However the impact of these problems can be mitigated with proper planning and design of the WLAN. To do this, an understanding of WLAN issues and the use of WLAN software tools are necessary. This thesis discusses WLAN issues such as security and electromagnetic wave propagation and introduces software that can aid the planning, deployment and maintenance of a WLAN. Furthermore the planning, implementation and auditing phases of a WLAN lifecylce are discussed. The aim being to provide an understanding of the complexities involved to deploy and maintain a secure and reliable WLAN

Wi-Fi Security: Do We Still Have to Look Back?

Wi-Fi is a wireless communication technology that has been around since the late nineties. Nowadays, it is the most adopted wireless short-range communication technology in various IoT (Internet of Things) applications and on many wireless AI (Artificial Intelligent) systems. Although Wi-Fi security has significantly improved throughout the past years, it is still having some limitations. Some vulnerabilities still exist allowing attackers to generate different types of attacks. These attacks can breach the authentication, confidentiality, and data integrity of Wi-Fi systems. At the same time, many vulnerabilities have been fixed or patched, and the attacks that were relying on those vulnerabilities would fail on modern Wi-Fi systems. Therefore, it is important for security engineers, in general, and for wireless intelligent system designers, in particular, to be aware of the existing vulnerabilities and feasible attacks on modern Wi-Fi systems and their respective countermeasures. That would help them to not have to look back and care about attacks that can no longer be generated on today’s Wi-Fi systems. In this light, we devote this paper to extensively review the attacks on Wi-Fi. We group the attacks into feasible and unfeasible. Also, for each attack, we discuss the possible countermeasures to mitigate it