2019•Unpublished venueRequires access

Will WPA3 really provide Wi-Fi security at a higher level?

Mariusz Bednarczyk, Zbigniew Piotrowski

Open publisher page 5 citations

Abstract

The nature of wireless network transmission means that an attacker does not have to be in the place where such a network is deployed. It is possible to sense, capture and analyze network traffic from a distance without being detected. If the network is not well secured, discovering of the information is not a problem. Security is one of the major concerns regarding Wi-Fi other than performance or range. Security should be one of the primary factors to consider when planning a wireless network. However, a lot of people who use it or intend to use it are not aware of the problem. Dictionaries with passwords, fake access points (AP) or backdoors in the routers’ software are just some of the methods used by attackers. Recently, a lot of methods have been related to socio-technical activities. In such cases, even secure systems can be vulnerable, because the target of the attackers is not focused around a technical feature but on people’s behaviors. This is a case, because, “human factor” is very often the weakest element in the security chain. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to raise the security awareness of users and protect wireless networks against adversary attacks. Particular attention is paid to the severity, possible targets as well as defense strategies against intruder’s actions. In this context, new WPA3 protocol promises to make it harder to break the into a Wi-Fi network. The article also presents a discussion on new features of WPA3 and their impact on improving the security of Wi-Fi networks.

About this research paper

What this paper is about

The nature of wireless network transmission means that an attacker does not have to be in the place where such a network is deployed. It is possible to sense, capture and analyze network traffic from a distance without being detected. If the network is not well secured, discovering of the information is not a problem. Security is one of the major concerns regarding Wi-Fi other than performance or range. Security should be one of the primary factors to consider when planning a wireless network. However, a lot of people who use it or intend to use it are not aware of the problem. Dictionaries with passwords, fake access points (AP) or backdoors in the routers’ software are just some of the methods used by attackers. Recently, a lot of methods have been related to socio-technical activities. In such cases, even secure systems can be vulnerable, because the target of the attackers is not focused around a technical feature but on people’s behaviors. This is a case, because, “human factor” is very often the weakest element in the security chain. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to raise the security awareness of users and protect wireless networks against adversary attacks. Particular attention is paid to the severity, possible targets as well as defense strategies against intruder’s actions. In this context, new WPA3 protocol promises to make it harder to break the into a Wi-Fi network. The article also presents a discussion on new features of WPA3 and their impact on improving the security of Wi-Fi networks.

Why it matters

OpenAlex reports 5 citations for this work. Citation counts describe recorded attention and do not establish research quality.

Key contribution

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Method / approach

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Main findings

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Available abstract

The nature of wireless network transmission means that an attacker does not have to be in the place where such a network is deployed. It is possible to sense, capture and analyze network traffic from a distance without being detected. If the network is not well secured, discovering of the information is not a problem. Security is one of the major concerns regarding Wi-Fi other than performance or range. Security should be one of the primary factors to consider when planning a wireless network. However, a lot of people who use it or intend to use it are not aware of the problem. Dictionaries with passwords, fake access points (AP) or backdoors in the routers’ software are just some of the methods used by attackers. Recently, a lot of methods have been related to socio-technical activities. In such cases, even secure systems can be vulnerable, because the target of the attackers is not focused around a technical feature but on people’s behaviors. This is a case, because, “human factor” is very often the weakest element in the security chain. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to raise the security awareness of users and protect wireless networks against adversary attacks. Particular attention is paid to the severity, possible targets as well as defense strategies against intruder’s actions. In this context, new WPA3 protocol promises to make it harder to break the into a Wi-Fi network. The article also presents a discussion on new features of WPA3 and their impact on improving the security of Wi-Fi networks.

Key concepts: Computer security, Computer science, Adversary, Wireless network, Password, Context (archaeology), Network security, Wireless

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