RE: WiFi security implications

["Oliver Rebollido" <ORebollido () fenwick com>]

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When you mentioned "Remove the beacon, or minimize it", what did you
mean by "minimize it"?  The only options I've been able to do with
the beacon on a Cisco 1200AP is either off or on.  When I had the
beacon off, some users on WinXP complained they couldn't get on
because WinXP couldn't find the AP.  WinXP didn't give them the
options of putting in their own SSID and WEP key.

Thanks,
Oliver

- -----Original Message-----
From: Security Newsletters-TM
[mailto:SecurityNewsletters.tm () telus com]
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 10:26 AM
To: security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: RE: WiFi security implications

It really doesn't matter. 

I've been watching this thread for a while.  Here are my comments to
the original question.

1) IPsec over 802.11 is great, and depending on the IPSec algorythms
and key sizes used, almost completely unbreakable except for private
millionairs and government agencies.

2) Want even more security, lock down the 802.11 AP.  I suspect
you're not using a Cisco one, so in that case make sure you do the
following

        i) Enable the highest WEP key possible
        ii) Change the SSID from default to something crazy that anyone
walking by your office with a PDA won't lock onto by accident like
"123fjdksfj2342" .
        iii) Use a different channel than the default.
        iv) Remove the beacon, or minimize it.
        v) lock down or filter the Mac address of your laptop.

3) As an alternative, you may wish to move away from the 802.11B
spectrum as plenty of kiddies have these 70 dollar cards (CDN).

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