LAN’sVictoria Davis

Joshua SinyardJulie GarbisonQuanina YoungAmanda Waite

Introduction to LAN’s

A LAN (Local Area Network) is a type of network that offers connection of different personal devices that exist in a small area. The devices can be configured to be hardwired or wireless.

WEP, WPA, PSK, TKIP and AES are all wireless security measures that can help protect the transmission of data over a LAN. The differences between these five security protocols is that they each provide a different level of security for a network depending on the needs of the network owner (some are better for the home, some better for business, etc.). These security protocols are upgraded versions of each other that are designed to fix vulnerabilities in the preceding protocol.

WEP – Wireless Equivalent Privacy

A security protocol used by routers to that protects data by encrypting packets sent over the wireless network.

WEP was used in the event that unauthorized users (or hackers) outside of the wireless LAN attempted to intercept the data sent over network.

WEP was created to provide a level of confidentiality similar to that of the hard wired network.

WEP’s are most used in homes and is still a method of network protection used by routers.

WPA – Wi-Fi Protected Access A solution to the flaws of the WEP security protocol, used by routers. WPA adds more protection than WEP (which was the first wireless protection) by providing more end to end security (from the internet access point to the receiver).

WPA was created to make sure that the encryption key on the data packets were not changed or tampered with by unauthorized users. The most recent version of WPA is WPA2.

WPA eliminates a hacker’s ability to change the encryption key without the network knowing through integrity checking cryptography that ensures end to end security. Hashing is also used to make it difficult to determine what the algorithm between the input data and the hash value of that same data is. Key – mixing and re-keying increase the strength of the encryption and change the key every 10,000 packets.

WPA can be used on home and business networks.

WEP vs. WPA

TKIP – Temporal Key Integrity Protocol

A security protocol used by routers that ensures that every data packet sent over a wireless LAN has a unique encryption key, also known as key mixing.

TKIP was created as a solution to the breaking of WEP which left a wireless network without a viable link-layer security. Key mixing makes the decoding of keys more difficult and eliminates the WEP key recovery attacks.

• TKIP prevents hackers or otherwise unauthorized users of the network from obtaining the personal passwords of authorized network users.

TKIP can be used at home for upgrading security on a wireless network. TKIP is not ideal for the protection of sensitive corporate and government data transmissions.

AES – Advanced Encryption Standard

One of the strongest cryptographic algorithms, sometimes used by the WPA2 security protocol. AES algorithms work by rearranging and substituting the data sent over a network.

AES was created by a division of the U.S. Commerce Department as a replacement for the Data Encryption Standard (also known as DES). It is considered the standard for encrypting unclassified government information for decades to come.

With AES, there is no known attack that can decrypt without searching through all 256bit keys, which would take a lot of time and power. AES substitutes data using different techniques such as Key schedule, State, Sbox, and Cipher Algorithm Pseudocode etc.

AES is used by businesses in which maximum security is necessary (government, financial and telecommunications businesses, etc.).

TKIP vs. AES

PSK – Pre Shared KeyA wireless security feature in which a pre shared key is selected by the owner of the network and given out only to individuals they authorize to connect to the network. PSK is normally 8-16 characters long and is saved on the devices of authorized users for easy access to the network.

PSK was created to protect network owners from unwanted threats. PSK also functions to allow home owners or small business to share information with coworkers, friends and family.

PSK used where an individual has a wireless network and only wants certain authorized users to be able to access it. The individual creates a password, and only those who know or are given the password can gain access to the wireless network on their devices.

PSK can be used on WLAN’s in the home as well as by small business networks.

PSK

LAN Configurations

Devices: Cable modemComputer A - PC (with ethernet NIC &without wifi NIC)Computer B - File serverXbox 360

Configuration 1 – The purchase of a wireless NIC for Computer A to create an Ad Hoc network.

Configuration 2 – A hard-wired connection for all devices using Ethernet cables and a router.

Configuration 3 – A hard-wired connection between the router and modem, as well as between Computer A and the router. All other devices connected wirelessly.

Configuration 1

Configuration 2

Configuration 3