Active and Passive Security Attacks in Wireless Networks and Prevention
Techniques
Abstract
In this modern day and age, wireless networks are everywhere. It is not
a far stretch to say that it is downright crucial due to its ability to
keep people connected and updated everywhere from universities and
workplaces down to our personal homes. Though the benefits of wireless
networks are undeniable, it also brings a new host of security concerns
due to the amount of sensitive data being transmitted through these
networks. A simple attack such as packet sniffing is enough to “sniff”
out just enough data to cripple even giant corporate bodies if left
unchecked. The aim of this research paper is to dissect and discuss the
security and privacy issues of wireless networks that surround us. An
interesting finding would be that wireless networks are heavily
susceptible to both malicious attacks such as denial of service attacks
and passive attacks like eavesdropping. It was also noted that
information is more easily obtainable through wireless networks as
compared to wired networks due to the ability to gleam information from
long distances without having to be physically present on site. A
literature review and a survey were conducted to learn about the
opinions of casual users of wireless networks. The information gathered
suggests that while there are many who care about privacy, they still
lack the necessary knowledge to protect said privacy. These users
carelessly connect to public wireless networks wherever it is available
without proper precaution and care. Appropriate relevant solutions are
presented based on literature study to overcome insecure wireless
network usage practices in order to avoid active and passive attacks.