Passively Monitoring A Wireless Network

Wireless networks (WLANs) are found throughout all sectors of industry. Some of these networks do not offer any level of security to insure the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of your data. In this assignment, students will demonstrate how to passively monitor a wireless network using Wireshark and compare secure and unsecured wireless networks. Directions : Complete Part 1 of the assignment. As you go, take instructional notes and screenshots that will help to reproduce your process. Then complete Part 2 by answering the 3 questions in a 350- to 450-word essay.

Part 1:

1. Install Wirehark on your host computer.

2. Connect your host computer to a public WiFi network that is not secure

3. While capturing wireless data using Wirehark, generate traffic using your web browser and visit some unsecured websites. Once you have captured sufficient data to perform an analysis, save the packet capture.

4. Connect your host computer to any WiFi network that is secure. e.g., “WGCUSECURE

5. While capturing wireless data using Wirehark, generate traffic using your web browser and visit some secure websites. Once you have capture sufficient data to perform an analysis, save the packet capture.

Part 2:

1. Using packet analysis tools found in Wireshark, compare to 2 packet captures from Part 1 of this assignment. Perform a packet analysis. What can you find different between the 2 captures?

2. Do the security features found on a typical wireless network ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of private data? What security policy considerations of wireless networks would you consider enforcing?

3. Which methods would you consider to limit exposing and identifying personal wireless identifiers (e.g., WLAN and cellular beacons, System Information Reports, TMSI)?