Wireless penetration tests assess the adequacy of multiple security controls designed to protect unauthorized access to wireless services. Testing attempts to exploit wireless vulnerabilities to gain access to private wireless SSIDs or to escalate privileges on guest SSIDs intended to be isolated from private networks.
Wireless penetration testing involves identifying and examining the connections between all devices connected to the business’s wifi. These devices include laptops, tablets, smartphones, and any other internet of things (IoT) devices.
Wireless penetration tests are typically performed on the client’s site as the pen tester needs to be in range of the wireless signal to access it.
The wireless network brings convenience and mobility to internal users, but with this convenience comes additional risks. An attacker does not need to gain physical access if vulnerable wireless networks can be compromised from a safe distance. Wireless access provided to guests and visitors needs to be isolated from protected environments. Wireless provided to employees needs to protect those connections and the data transmitted over the air. Testing wireless networks is a critical activity to ensure wireless networks are providing the intended access and only the intended access.
Every official penetration test should primarily focus on the vulnerabilities most easily exploited. This is often referred to as going for the “low-hanging fruit” as these identified vulnerabilities represent the highest risk and are most easily exploitable.
In the case of wifi networks, these vulnerabilities are most often found in wifi access points.
A common reason for this is due to insufficient Network Access Controls and due to the lack of MAC filtering.
If these security controls are not used to effectively increase the security of a WiFi network, malicious hackers gain a significant advantage over the company and can use various techniques and WiFi hacking tools to gain unauthorized access in the network.
Penetration testing should be performed on a regular basis to ensure more consistent IT and network security management. In addition to regularly scheduled analysis and assessments required by regulatory mandates, tests should also be run whenever:
Your organization will grow and change over time. Factors such as a change in staff members, business lines, processes, and technology are good reasons to conduct a penetration test. We advise you to perform penetration tests of your business regularly to ensure that your systems are up to date and your employees have been properly trained
Cybersecurity is ever-evolving because cybercriminals are always innovating new ways to intrude networks and exploit vulnerabilities. Hence, it is important to perform penetration testing whenever there is a major change in the environment.
Often, regulatory bodies like PCI DSS and HIPAA encourage penetration testing to comply with regulations.