Ssid and Wlan Definitions

SSID & NETWORKS SSID's & Networks The author of this report has been asked to answer a few brief questions as it relates to the security and safety of networks. The questions that will be answered include how one would design, develop and implement a security management system to protect an organization's internet and intranet access points. There will also be a description of what a service set identifier (SSID) is and what it does. Finally, there will be some talk about why SSID's tend to be vulnerable.

While it may seem daunting to create and maintain a secure and well-functioning network, there are some common-sense steps that can and should be taken to do precisely that. Analysis There are two main things to focus on when designing and implementing a secure internet and intranet framework. The first is to control who and what is allowed to move in and out of a corporate network. The other thing is to control what is going on within that network.

An example of the first is creating a wall of security between the network and the outside world. Whether this be encryption, firewalls (software- and hardware-based) and password protection, it has to be ensured that data is not easily stolen or read even if it is procured. A tool that is widely used and serves a great purpose is a virtual private network. Such a network ensures that traffic is protected and encrypted even one or more workstations or computers in question are not physically within the home network.

Key policy components as it comes to this part of the network security paradigm is the design and structure of the network's security systems and how precisely access to the network will be controlled. As technology and best practices improve, the network structure, both tangible and virtual, should change as well (Black Stratus, 2015). As for controlling what is going on within the network itself, there are a few common examples of this.

One example is requiring that workers change their passwords, use passwords that are not overly simple or easy to guess and have forced configurations that cause the computer to lock if there is inactivity for a certain amount of time. Enforcement of other good practices and general policies such as blocking of certain websites or types of websites (e.g. Facebook) as well as video streaming sites is just a start given the time and bandwidth those sites waste.

Key policy components for this part of the paradigm would include the expectations, policies and rules that apply to employees accessing the network. Continuous improvements along these lines would include adding, changing or removing employee IT and human resources policies based on the needs and outcomes of the business (Black Stratus, 2015). As for what an SSID is, it is basically the serial number for a wireless local area network, or WLAN for short. The identifier is thirty-two digits in length and it is always unique to the network in question.

Put another way, an SSID is the name of a wireless network. The SSID becomes important when there is more than one wireless network operating in the same general range. For example, if the name of a network is broadcasting as "AcmeWLAN," that name is what will be seen by computers that are seeking access to a wireless network. Of course, WLAN's are generally encrypted and password protected and this goes double when it comes to corporate WLAN's (Indiana, 2015).

While this sounds straightforward, there is a problem with SSID's and that is the fact that they are generally vulnerable to attack and penetration. Just a few examples of this are as follows. In 2006, it was found that 802.11b adapters manufactured by a few different companies would react very poorly if they re3ceived a null SSID IE's. That same year, SSID's that were beyond a certain length would lead to buffer overflow issues with certain Netgear products.

Finally, some hackers came up with a way to proffer SSID values that WLAN's were not properly programmed to.