Privacy Defended: Protecting Yourself Online

What Kinds of Attacks Are Out There?

With wireless signals clearly not limited by walls or legal boundaries, wireless networks lend themselves to a host of attack possibilities and risks. These can include any or all of the topics discussed next.

Insertion Attacks

This type of attack involves unauthorized laptops or other devices being positioned in the wireless cloud to gain access to an existing network. Laptops or PDAs can be configured to attempt access to networks simply by installing wireless network cards and setting up near the victim's network. If password authentication is not enabled on the network, any user can simply join the network and use its resources.

Another type of insertion attack is the deployment of rogue access points. ...