Running Head: LOCAL AREA NETWORK THREATS AND COUNTERMEASURES

Local Area Network Threats and Countermeasures

Name

Institution

Course

Due Date
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Description of the Home Wireless Network

Wireless networks allow multiple devices to share internet connection. For my home

Wi-Fi network, it is simply a router directly connected to my internet modem. This router

is the hub for broadcasting the internet signal to all my devices enabled on the Wi-Fi.

This Wi-Fi network offers the flexibility to stay connected to the internet, provided the

devices are within the network's coverage area. The active radio waves enable the Wi-Fi

network to transmit data signals from the wireless router to the devices enabled on the

Wi-Fi, such as smartphones, TV, computer, and tablet. When the devices are connected

over the same network, they communicate through airwaves. Therefore personal

information becomes vulnerable to cyber-attacks, hackers, and other threats. It is,

therefore, best if you connect to a Wi-Fi network that is password protected or use a

personal hotspot. There are various security mechanisms that I have implemented to

secure my devices and personal information.

Wi-Fi Network Security Mechanisms

There are three primary mechanisms that I have implemented to secure my Wi-Fi

network; broadcast SSID prevention, encryption, and Mac Address Restrictions. Service

set identifier (SSID) is an identity that every network possesses. Networks broadcast their

IDs to communicate to wireless devices within the coverage area where they are present.

The client device sees a list of the available networks and can select any network from the

list. I have prevented my wireless network from broadcasting by turning it off. I also use

MAC address restrictions which are a robust security mechanism. This mechanism limits

the access of my network to specific devices. Media access control (MAC) is a feature
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possessed by all devices connected to a wireless network. This unique address is in effect

as the network adapter address (Ethernet or wireless), and the adapter manufacturer

assigned it. The last mechanism I use is encryption. The encryption secures the data

between my wireless access point and the computer. It is, therefore, difficult for anyone

to steal an internet connection.

Wi-Fi 6 and WPA 3

Wi-Fi 6 is the newest and standard Wi-Fi that uses WPA 3 encryption. The WPA 3

security is also a recently adopted mechanism that provides enhancements to the

capabilities of the existing WPA 2. Wi-Fi 6 uses WPA 3 encryption to secure it from

hackers and attacks. The WPA 3 security uses modern security methods which deny the

outdated legacy protocols. It uses management frame protection (MFP) to maintain Wi-Fi

6 network resilience. WAP 3 protects Wi-Fi 6 network users against password-guessing

attacks by leveraging the simultaneous authentication of equals (SAE)

Benefits and Drawbacks of Hiding SSID

Hiding SSID means turning off the SSID broadcast feature of the wireless router. This

feature disables the router from sending out the name of the wireless network to the

devices within its network coverage. There are various advantages and disadvantages of

hiding the SSID of your network. The main advantage of hiding the SSID of your

wireless network is that it minimizes possible threats by preventing neighbors and hackers

from knowing that you have a network (Rutledge, 2022). However, the network will still

exist and be vulnerable to other attackers. Hiding SSID has drawbacks because it does not

prevent an attack; it only minimizes the likelihood of occurrence. Bad guys with more
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expertise and technological advancement can still find the network even when the SSID is

hidden. The SSID is found in other personal information and data packets.

Response One

I like the mechanisms that (student’s name) uses to secure the home wireless network

connection. I will mention a few recommendations regarding the implemented security

mechanisms. When using MAC address restrictions, it is essential to configure all

wireless access points to allow communications from a specified address only. It is also

important to note that a professional can use a specialist equipment to spoof the MAC

address.

Response Two

(Student’s name) has also mentioned using MAC address restrictions to secure the

Wi-Fi network from threats. I would like to recommend two things to consider when

setting up MAC address restrictions. Ensure you find the MAC address of all devices and

enter these addresses in the list of those addresses allowed on the wireless access point. It

is also essential to note that the network adapter contains the MAC address. Remember to

reconfigure the access points after replacing a wireless USB adapter in case it breaks.
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References

Rutledge, S. (2022, July 26). Should you hide your Wi-Fi SSID?. Retrieved November 17,

2022, from https://fractionalciso.com/should-you-hide-your-wi-fi-ssid/