What is Wireless Penetration Testing?

When it comes to understanding hacker behavior, penetration testing is one of the most reliable security analyses you can run.

It’s a great way to learn more about how your security posture looks to outside threats – and professional pen testers can make recommendations so you’re protected against the worst vectors.

Wireless penetration testing is a subtype of this security process which revolves around wireless networks. Specifically, it’s a thorough analysis of, and a controlled attack against, a company's wireless infrastructure.

In this guide, we’ll break down how wireless pen testing can help spot vulnerabilities, fix common flaws, and ensure businesses have robust security controls inside and out.

What is Wireless Penetration Testing?

Wireless penetration testing is a thorough security assessment of networks and devices connected through wireless signals.

Wireless pen testing is a type of penetration test through which security experts mimic attacks against these networks using hacking tools and techniques.

It’s a form of ethical hacking. By simulating real-world attacks, testers can advise their business clients where any wireless weaknesses may lie, and what actions they should take to remedy them.

The world is becoming increasingly dependent on wireless technology. Therefore, this penetration testing subtype is, likewise, becoming increasingly popular – and relevant.

Benefits of Wireless Penetration Testing

Here are several strong benefits to using a wireless pen testing methodology.

Identify Vulnerabilities

It’s not always easy to spot wireless network security problems from the inside. Penetration testers run wireless tests as part of a thorough auditing process to find potential flaws. Then, they test these network vulnerabilities before mounting a cyber attack.

Potential vulnerabilities that wireless testing might spot include:

• Poor firewall support
• Inadequate access controls
• Lack of multifactor authentication (where appropriate)
• Vulnerability to social engineering
• Lax security politics and information security measures in general
• Evidence of a rogue access point
• Unsecured wireless devices (e.g. routers without WPA2-PSK)

All issues listed could lead to unauthorized access and data breaches via WiFi networks – and this is only scratching the surface.

Enhance Network Security

After finding these vulnerabilities and running simulated attacks, penetration testers suggest ways their clients can tighten up their security postures.

For instance, they might suggest:

• Installing a new range of hardware and software
• Practicing better password security and entropy (to prevent brute force and dictionary attacks)
• Retraining staff to be more vigilant re: social engineering
• Removing or adding wireless access points
• Avoiding using outdated or less secure wireless encryption standards (e.g., WEP or original WPA)

Compliance Assurance

Many businesses that hold and process customer data will have a range of compliance and regulations to follow.

For example, companies that process card payments must adhere to PCI DSS regulations. Similarly, any companies doing business in or around the European Union must adhere to GDPR compliance.

Security testing can help businesses tighten their posture and adhere to compliance standards relevant to their industries. Doing so can prevent user data leakage and prevent loss of capital and reputation.

Protect Sensitive Data

Above all, wireless pen testing is ideal for protecting sensitive data shared over WiFi. To provide customers a reputable and reliable service, you must safeguard their data at all costs!

A wireless network penetration test ensures that any devices you use on your network – IoT or otherwise – are airtight. Security professionals make recommendations and take steps to keep data private to your network alone.

How to Secure Wireless Networks

Although penetration testers can help with the mitigation of security threats, there are still some best practices you should follow to ensure your wireless network is secure at all times.

Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind:

• Set unique passwords. Using default usernames and passwords for routers and devices gives cybercriminals easy access to your networks. Set complex passwords using a variety of characters.
• Use a recognized encryption standard. Older encryption protocols like WEP and WPA are no longer efficient enough to protect against evolving cyber threats. Encrypt data more securely using WPA3 for the best results.
• Restrict access controls. Ensure that only verified and authorized users can access your wireless network. Filter MAC addresses to ensure guests can log in on separate channels so you can control who sees what.
• Use and update firewall and antivirus / malware protection. Always protect your routers and other devices with host-based firewalls and software you can use to scan for and quarantine viruses and malware.
• Set a unique SSID. Your SSID, or Service Set Identifier, should be unique to each WiFi router. Like passwords, don't use the default options – set a unique phrase only you can access.

Steps for Conducting Wireless Pen Testing

Let’s explore some typical steps wireless penetration testers follow to analyze and attack client networks. Keep in mind that this process may vary depending on your needs. For example, some testers might recommend automated vulnerability scanning for ongoing protection.

1. Wireless Reconnaissance

To start, penetration testers thoroughly read and analyze the networks they intend to attack. This means gathering details on how a wireless network is laid out, which hardware is in use, and what security policies are in place.

The recon process helps testers understand how specific networks operate, and plan ahead with specific tools. It’s wise for testers to understand where access points are, for example, so they can launch specific types of attack.

2. Identify Wireless Networks

In most cases, wireless penetration testers will not only consider their target networks, but also those in the vicinity. This is additional reconnaissance – because it helps testers to understand where vulnerabilities might lie elsewhere.

Testers could, for example, spot potential interference issues or areas of weakness that might affect their clients.

3. Vulnerability Scanning

At this stage, testers run thorough vulnerability scans and checks to see if there are any flaws or gaps in wireless postures. For example, they might spot poor password security, completely unsecured hardware and access points, or even outdated software or firewall firmware.

In which case, testers will note down these vulnerabilities and keep them in mind for exploitation – the next stage in the process.

4. Exploitation

Once testers have a clear map of identified vulnerabilities and potential weaknesses in a wireless network, they will start to exploit them. This is the active part of the testing process.

This means they will arrange a series of tools and line up techniques that hackers might typically use to gain access for nefarious purposes.

Remember, exploitation and attacking in penetration testing is simulated. It is purely an exercise in education – so that clients can see where certain issues might lie.

5. Reporting

At the end of scanning, testing, and exploitation, penetration testers compile reports that break down what they’ve found.

These reports advise their clients on what weaknesses exist, how they can be patched, and why action is necessary.

These reports offer clear breakdowns of action taken in plain language so stakeholders and anyone using the networks understand what's at stake. This also helps them understand the remediation steps.

Tools for Wireless Pen Testing

As you might imagine, professional penetration testers use various tools and software to test wireless networks and devices that depend on them. Several of their tools might use common network protocols such as Bluetooth.

Here are just a few typical tools in the pen tester’s kit:

• Wireshark, a protocol analysis tool that helps testers see data traveling across networks
• Kismet, a network sniffer that shows testers where data packets travel – it’s also used to detect networks
• Airsnort, a specialized encryption cracking tool
• Reaver, a brute force tester that specifically retrieves encrypted passwords via WPA and WPA2
• Aircrack-ng, a series of wireless penetration testing tools that thoroughly audit networks – it’s commonly used to help crack certain encryption keys

Conclusion

Simply setting up basic wireless security for your network and devices is no longer enough to protect against evolving threats.

Wireless pen testing is one of several types of penetration testing services we recommend to help keep your business, its data, and your users safe against unseen foes and bad actors.

If you’d like to know more about penetration testing and how it can benefit you and your customers, get in touch with the VikingCloud team.