3.4 Wireless Security

Question 1

Define Counter/CBC-MAC protocol (CCMP)

Answer 1

Encryption used by WPA2 with CBC-MIC providing message integrity check (MIC)

Question 2

Define WPA2 (2)

Answer 2

1. Provides encryption, data integrity & authentication
2. Secure but subject to brute-force attacks by obtaining the hash for the pre-shared key

Question 3

Define Galois Counter Mode Protocol (GCMP)

Answer 3

Encryption used by WPA3 with Galois message authentication code (GMAC) providing message integrity (MIC)

Question 4

Define WPA3 (2)

Answer 4

1. Latest and most secure WiFi encryption
2. Uses perfect forward secrecy (PFS) so that it is not vulnerable to brute-force attacks since the pre-shared key is different for every session

Question 5

Define Message Integrity Check (MIC)

Answer 5

Used by 802.11 wireless to provide message integrity, aka MAC

Question 6

Define Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) (2)

Answer 6

1. PFS key exchange that expands security of Diffie-Hellman
2. Used by WPA3 to eliminate brute-force vulnerability

Question 7

Define Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)

Answer 7

A standard authentication framework for wireless network authentication used in conjunction with 802.1X

Question 8

Define EAP-FAST (Flexible Authentication via Secure Tunneling) (3)

Answer 8

1. Establishes a secure tunnel over which authentication credentials are provided to authenticator
2. Commonly used with RADIUS
3. Uses shared secret to establish tunnel

Question 9

Define PEAP (2)

Answer 9

1. Protected EAP
2. Like EAP-FAST except it requires a server certificate to create tunnel

Question 10

Define EAP-TLS (3)

Answer 10

1. Requires digital certificates on all devices
2. Difficult to implement due to requirement of PKI
3. Older devices that lack support for certificates can’t use it to connect

Question 11

Define EAP-TTLS (2)

Answer 11

1. Tunneled Transport Layer Security
2. Works like EAP-TLS minus client digital certificate

Question 12

Define Federation

Answer 12

Using third-party or external authentication services

Question 13

Define RADIUS

Answer 13

Provides federated wireless authentication with other providers, such as Active Directory

Question 14

Define 802.1X

Answer 14

Network authentication protocol that opens up wireless or wired network ports upon authentication and authorization

Question 15

What is the pre-shared key used by the WiFi encryption protocols?

Answer 15

The WiFi password

Question 16

Define WPS

Answer 16

1. WiFi Protected Setup
2. Instead of requiring a password to connect to WiFi, access is granted by transferring configuration to the device by using a PIN or with the push of a button when the devices are near each other via NFC

Question 17

WiFi PSK

Answer 17

Pre-shared key, everyone uses the same password to access the WiFi network

Question 18

Define WiFi Captive Portal (3)

Answer 18

1. Authentication is done via a browser page where credentials are entered
2. Access is often provided for a limited time before having to re-authenticate
3. Can provide an acceptable use agreement that must be accepted

Question 19

Define Site Survey for WiFi

Answer 19

A site survey for WiFi networks is conducted to identify possible interference and WiFi coverage

Question 20

Define heat map for WiFi

Answer 20

A visual representation of the coverage/signal strength of a WiFi network

Question 21

Uses of WiFi (packet) Analyzer (3)

Answer 21

Capture WiFi packets to view:
1. signal-to-noise ratio
2. channel use info
3. utilization

Question 22

Define WiFi channel overlap and what channels don’t interfere with each other

Answer 22

1. Access points can interfere with each other if their channels overlap
2. In US, channels 1, 6, & 11 do not interfere with each other

Question 23

WiFi access point placement considerations (3)

Answer 23

1. Signal coverage (range)
2. Interference (channel overlap)
3. Site survey to identify these as well as external sources of interference

Question 24

How do EAP-FAST and EAP-TLS stand out from other EAP-based protocols?

Answer 24

1. EAP-FAST doesn’t require client or server certificates
2. EAP-TLS requires both server and client certificates, PKI infrastructure, no tunnel but most secure