ABSTRACT
The rapid growth of wireless communication means that issues in wireless local area network (LAN) security are of increasing practical importance. This chapter presents an overview of wireless LAN security for the IEEE 802.11 networks. First, we address the wired equivalent privacy protocol (WEP), the security method originally employed in IEEE 802.11 networks and show that it has numerous security weaknesses. Next, we introduce new security protocols, such as Wi-Fi protected access (WPA) and IEEE 802.11i, that replace WEP and provide real security for wireless LANs. Apart from reviewing these security designs, this chapter also illustrates several threats against these security mechanisms.
