Guide to Securing Legacy IEEE 802.11 Wireless Networks: Recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST Special Publication 800-48 Revision 1)

Guide to Securing Legacy IEEE 802.11 Wireless Networks: Recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST Special Publication 800-48 Revision 1) Review

Wireless local area networks (WLAN) are groups of wireless networking nodes within a limited geographic area, such as an office building or building campus, that are capable of radio communication. WLANs are usually implemented as extensions to existing wired local area networks (LAN) to provide enhanced user mobility and network access. The most widely implemented WLAN technologies are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and its amendments. This document discusses the security of legacy IEEE 802.11 technologies—those that are not capable of using the IEEE 802.11i security standard. Organizations employing legacy IEEE 802.11 WLANs should be aware of the limited and weak security controls available to protect communications. Legacy WLANs are particularly susceptible to loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Unauthorized users have access to well-documented security flaws and exploits that can easily compromise an organization’s systems and information, corrupt the organization’s data, consume network bandwidth, degrade network performance, launch attacks that prevent authorized users from accessing the network, or use the organization’s resources to launch attacks on other networks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommends that organizations with existing legacy IEEE 802.11 implementations develop and implement migration strategies to move to IEEE 802.11i-based security because of its superior capabilities. IEEE 802.11i addresses the security flaws in the original IEEE 802.11 standard with built-in features providing robust wireless communications security, including support for Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) validated cryptographic algorithms. While legacy IEEE 802.11 networks are still in use, organizations should follow the recommendations in this publication to compensate for the security weaknesses inherent in legacy WLANs. Organizations that are planning a migration from legacy WLANs to IEEE 802.11i or are considering the deployment of new WLANs should evaluate IEEE 802.11i-based products and follow the recommendations in NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-97, Establishing Wireless Robust Security Networks: A Guide to IEEE 802.11i,1 for the new WLANs. Organizations should implement the following recommendations to improve the security of their legacy IEEE 802.11 implementations.

Securing the Smart Grid: Next Generation Power Grid Security

Securing the Smart Grid: Next Generation Power Grid Security Review

"The first step in securing the Smart Grid is to fully understand the threat landscape. This book provides both a timely and relevant overview of the subject - a must-read for anyone responsible for securing the grid as well as consumers looking to implement the technology!."-- Dr. Patrick Engebretson, Assistant Professor of Computer Security, Dakota State University.

"Easy to read and full of valuable information, this book provides a wide-eyed view of our future and the security challenges we will be facing in our day-to-day lives. Exploring everything from home systems to large-scale power plants, this is a must-read for everyone in our technological society."-- Thomas Wilhelm, ISSMP, CISSP, SCSECA, SCNA, SCSA, IEM, IAM

Smart Grids are the future of energy. By creating networks from power plant to home, utility companies will be able to regulate power consumption making sure that consumers are receiving the amount that is needed, no more or less. While this new use of networking technology and unique applications such as smart meters will help to conserve energy it also opens up a pipeline, that was regulated manually, into the computer world of interconnected networks. The infrastructure that is being built will need to have robust security as an attack on this network could create chaos to tens of thousands of power consumers, stop a utility company in its tracks, or be used in a cyberwar.

Securing the Smart Grid takes a look at grid security today, how it is developing and being deployed into now over 10 million households in the US alone. Direct attacks to smart meters as well as attacks via the networks will be detailed along with suggestions for defense against them. A framework for how security should be implemented throughout this growing system will be included directing security consultants, and system and network architects on how to keep the grid strong against attackers big and small.

Details how old and new hacking techniques can be used against the grid and how to defend against them

Discusses current security initiatives and how they fall short of what is needed

Find out how hackers can use the new infrastructure against itself