Simple ways to secure Wireless Computers

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Simple ways to secure Wireless Computers
Jay Ferron, ADMT, CISM, CISSP, MCSE, MCSBA, MCT,
NSA-IAM, TCI
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Questions

• How many of you have more than one computer at
  home?
• How do you connect to the Internet (DSL, cable,
  dialup)?
• How many already have a home router?
• Already have a wireless router?

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Agenda

• What is a Home network
• Connecting things together
• Firewalls and Filtering
• Setting up a home router
• Setting up Print and File Sharing
• Questions

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Home Network

• One or more computers connected
• To the Internet with a router
• To each other in order to share Resources
• Internet Connections
• Sharing Files
• Sharing Printers

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What is a Router

• Connects one network to another
• Sometimes called a Gateway
• In our case it connects to your cable modem or
  DSL Line
• Routers keep track of IP addresses and physical
  (MAC) addresses of hosts
• Managed (As we shall see)

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What is a Cable/DSL Modem

• Usually provided and controlled by your ISP
• Connects your home to the Internet.
• This is the device that gets your public IP
  address
• Normally has no firewall protection
• Make sure you use the right cable

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What is a Firewall

• A device the filters packets or traffic
• Its job is to be a traffic cop
• You configure the firewall
• What will allow to pass
• What will it block
• Hides your home network from the outside world
• Can be either in hardware or software

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Firewall Protection

• Implement a firewall (checks incoming traffic at
  the network before it gets to your home network)
  Default Blocks all Incoming connections
• Leaving you home network default is allow all
  outbound connections
• Hardware firewalls protect you home network by
  stop all traffic before it get to your computers
• Personal software firewall on your computer
  blocks incoming and outgoing (lets you know what
  is leaving your computer)

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Firewall Routers

• The idea is layers of protection
• Examples of home combo units include
• Dlink
• Netgear
• Linksys

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Software Firewalls

• Add additional protection by
• Controlling what leaves your computer
• Adding a second level of protection
• By being aware of application level attacks
• By allow you to schedule
• Usage of the internet by time (control access at
  night)
• By location (block content for young children)

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Software Firewalls for Home Use

• McAfee Firewall
• Symantecs Norton Personal Firewall
• Zone Alarm (Free)
• Computer Associates with Firewall (free)
• Windows Firewall in XP Service Pack 2 (free)

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Wireless

• What is wireless
• Wireless Networking Standards
• 802.11 a, b, and g
• Recommend a standard g model
• Wireless Security Standards
• Recommend Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)

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Wireless Network Standards
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Lesson Introduction to Securing Wireless Networks

• What are the benefits of wireless networks?
• Common threats to wireless security
• Wireless network standards
• Guidelines for using security to mitigate risks
  to wireless networks
• Wireless network architecture

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What Are the Benefits of Wireless Networks?
Business benefits

• Mobile users moving between offices save time
  andeffort with a transparent connection to the
  corporate network

• Users can use e-mail, electronic calendars, and
  chat technologies when away from their desks

Operational benefits

• The cost of provisioning network access to
  buildings is substantially lowered

• The network can be easily scaled to respond to
  different levels of demand when the organization
  changes

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Common Threats to Wireless Security

• Eavesdropping
• Spoofing
• Interception and modification of transmitted data
• Freeloading
• Denial of service
• Rogue WLANs

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Guidelines for Using Security to Mitigate Risks
to Wireless Networks
Require data encryption for all wireless
communications
Require 802.1x authentication to help prevent
spoofing, freeloading, and accidental threats to
your network
If you allow unauthenticated access to your
wireless network, require a VPN connection to
access the corporate network
Specify the use of software scanning tools to
locate and shut down rogue WLANs on your
corporate network
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Wireless Network Architecture
ESS
IBSS
BSS
STA
STA
AP
DS
AP
BSS
STA
STA
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Demo Wireless Devices
Clearsight Scanner
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Demo How to configure Wireless Firewall/router

• Example
• Basic Settings
• Wireless Settings
• Backup Settings
• Set Account name and password
• Blocking and Filtering

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Steps to protect your wireless network

• Change the default password on your router
• 2. Enable WEP on router and wireless workstation
• Use MAC address filtering
• SSID broadcast of
• Prohibit Peer-to-peer (Ad Hoc) networking
• 5. Keep current on hardware bios upgrades

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Demo Rogue Wireless Devices
AirSnare
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Weak Passwords

• Your computer password is the foundation of your
  computer security
• No Password No Security
• Old Passwords Same Password Little Security
• Change the administrator password on your
  computer

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Questions

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