Book details of '802.11 Security'

Title	802.11 Security
Author(s)	Bruce Potter, Bob Fleck
ISBN	0596002904
Language	English
Published	December 2002
Publisher	O'Reilly & Associates

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Reviewer Rob Slade wrote:
The preface states that this book is aimed at the network engineer, and the security engineer, or the hobbyist, but it is not an introductory work. The reader will need to know Linux to the kernel configuration level, and TCP/IP networking to the ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) level. Part one addresses the basics of 802.11 security. Chapter one provides a background, and looks at issues, in wireless communications, although primarily from a communications, rather than security, perspective. There is a review of attacks and risks, in chapter two, and for once there is a comparison of wired versus wireless hazards, ranging from the common (interference from portable phones) to the sophisticated (signal strength attacks related to diversity antennae). Part two deals with station, or remote device, security. Chapter three examines attacks against machines and networks, and suggests the use of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and SSH (Secure SHell). Configuration recommendations for the kernel, startup, firewall, and other aspects of FreeBSD are covered in chapter four. Chapters five, six, and seven do the same for Linux, OpenBSD, and Mac OS X, respectively (with a concentration on the AirPort utilities for the Mac). Windows, in chapter eight, reviews basic workstation items only, with limited advice and direction. Part three looks at access port security, and the setup of access points under Linux, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD are all contained in chapter nine. Gateway security is the topic of part four, with chapter ten looking at gateways and firewalls, while the use of the three UNIX variants as gateways is discussed in chapters eleven, twelve, and thirteen. Authentication and encryption, mostly with IPSec, is reviewed in chapter fourteen. A rather vague closing is given in fifteen. As noted, this is not a book for beginners. Presumably readers should already know the most common dangers of wireless LANs, such as allowing default access passwords to remain active, and broadcasting the station set identifier. WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is dismissed as irrelevant: since it is deeply flawed, one can assume that the concentration on technologies such as IPSec and station security is of greater use than suggesting minor improvements in the use of WEP keys and initialization vectors. However, it is a bit of a pity that the authors took this route. With the addition of possibly an extra fifty pages this could have been an excellent reference for all wireless LAN administrators. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2003
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Book description:

Mention wireless networks, and the question of security will soon follow. It's not surprising that in spite of compelling business arguments for going wireless, many companies are holding back because of security concerns. But, while it's true that wireless networks create security issues that don't exist in wired networks, the issues are not insurmountable. 802.11 Security shows how you can plan for and successfully contend with security obstacles in your wireless deployment. This authoritative book not only explains the security issues, but shows you how to design and build a your own secure wireless network. 802.11 Security covers the entire process of building secure 802.11-based wireless networks, in particular, the 802.11b ("Wi-Fi") specification. The authors provide detailed coverage of security issues unique to wireless networking, such as Wireless Access Points (WAP), bandwidth stealing, and the problematic Wired Equivalent Privacy component of 802.11. You'll learn how to configure a wireless client and to set up a WAP using either Linux or Free BSD. You'll also find thorough information on controlling network access and encrypting client traffic. Beginning with an introduction to 802.11b in general, the book gives you a broad basis in theory and practice of wireless security, dispelling some of the myths along the way. In doing so, they provide you with the technical grounding required to think about how the rest of the book applies to your specific needs and situations. Next, the book details the technical setup instructions needed for both the Linux and FreeBSD operating systems. Some of the topics covered include: Station Security for Linux, FreeBSD, Open BSD, Mac OS X and Windows Setting Up Access Point Security Gateway Security, including building Gateways, firewall Rules, Auditing, etc. Authentication and Encryption FreeBSD IPsec client and gateway configuration Linux IPsec client and gateway configuration 802.1x authentication 802.11 Security is a book whose time has come. If you are a network, security, or systems engineer, or anyone interested in deploying 802.11b-based systems, you'll want this book beside you every step of the way.