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Cyber Guerilla NetworkingBy Judith M. Myerson2005-04-13 
Defeating Your Would-Be Attacker
While you enjoy using wireless mobile devices with or without VPN support, you must consider the additional pitfalls associated with them. Don't be discouraged, though, as I have some tried-and-true solutions. Pitfall 1: Frequency channel overlapping. The space between channels can be so narrow that one frequency might overlap with another in certain situations. Solution: Note when overlapping occurs and move your palm or laptop to a better location. Pitfall 2: Wi-Fi Implementation incompatibility. That is, technologies used in different systems do not always work together. Solution: Get a standard dual-mode mobile phone that allows switching from Wi-Fi to cellular and vice versa. Pitfall 3: Hotspots in public places. To be productive while waiting in airports and hotel lobbies, workers employ a hotspot to which they give subscriber identity and payment information. At a safe distance, the cyber guerillas can employ intercepting tools, immediately after the legitimate users plug their mobile devices into a hotspot. Solution: Try to get your company to establish or upgrade the policy on the use of hotspots, such as launching a VPN client before logging into the SSL portal or installing a PDA version of a personal firewall program at a hotspot. Pitfall 4: Unauthorized workstations. They have also been used to connect with laptops and PDAs. Solution: Make an inventory of laptops and PDAs, MAC addresses, and operating systems, and label workstations as to the level of data sensitivity. Pitfall 5: System defaults that haven't been changed. They can expose corporate assets to unauthorized users. Solution: Change the default settings for administrator passwords, APs, and Service Set Indentifiers (SSID). Do not enter new settings that are easy for the cyber guerillas to guess. Create a long sequence of numbers and letters that will confuse a guerilla. Do not post them where a guerilla could see them! Change the settings on a periodic basis (for example, 30 days). Pitfall 6: Immature or inadequate wireless standards. If they are not applied consistently they might not be effective. Solution: Organize an industry-wide standards committee to create, improve, or implement wireless mobile device standards. Tutorial Pages: » Recognizing and Battling Your Enemy » Who are the Cyber Guerillas? » In Search of Their Prey » Get a Load of a Cyber Guerilla » Wireless Security Weak Spots » Exploiting Signals » Please do add VPN Support » Defeating Your Would-Be Attacker » Preparing for Combat » Resources First published by IBM DeveloperWorks
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