Mention wireless networks, and the question of security will soon follow. It's not surprising that in spite of compelling business arguments for going wireless, many companies are holding back because of security concerns. But, while it's true that wireless networks create security issues that don't exist in wired networks, the issues are not insurmountable. 802.11 Security shows how you can plan for and successfully contend with security obstacles in your wireless deployment. This authoritative book not only explains the security issues, but shows you how to design and build a your own secure wireless network. 802.11 Security covers the entire process of building secure 802.11-based wireless networks, in particular, the 802.11b ("Wi-Fi") specification. The authors provide detailed coverage of security issues unique to wireless networking, such as Wireless Access Points (WAP), bandwidth stealing, and the problematic Wired Equivalent Privacy component of 802.11. You'll learn how to configure a wireless client and to set up a WAP using either Linux or Free BSD. You'll also find thorough information on controlling network access and encrypting client traffic. Beginning with an introduction to 802.11b in general, the book gives you a broad basis in theory and practice of wireless security, dispelling some of the myths along the way. In doing so, they provide you with the technical grounding required to think about how the rest of the book applies to your specific needs and situations. Next, the book details the technical setup instructions needed for both the Linux and FreeBSD operating systems. Some of the topics covered include:

• Station Security for Linux, FreeBSD, Open BSD, Mac OS X and Windows

• Setting Up Access Point Security

• Gateway Security, including building Gateways, firewall Rules, Auditing, etc.

• Authentication and Encryption

• FreeBSD IPsec client and gateway configuration

• Linux IPsec client and gateway configuration

• 802.1x authentication

802.11 Security is a book whose time has come. If you are a network, security, or systems engineer, or anyone interested in deploying 802.11b-based systems, you'll want this book beside you every step of the way.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 13 Ratings

Wonderful book, title should mention Unix. - 2003-09-30
Reviewer Rating:
802.11 Security is another fine O'Reilly book, it is very nicely written and laid out and the message is crystal clear.

The reason I gave it three stars was that the book is heavily biased towards Linux, Free BSD, and Open BSD and the title does not reflect the bias. That is not a bad thing, I found the unix information wonderful, but if you are ordering 802.11 Security over the web, you might easily miss the unix emphasis and end up with a book that doesn't meet your needs.

As secure as it can be - 2003-07-11
Reviewer Rating:
You've got one, I've got one, we've all got one. Wired networks have become so passe` now that wireless networks are everywhere. The one characteristic of most wireless networks is the lack of security. Enter O'Reilly's 802.11 Security.

Potter and Fleck have written this little book as a no-nonsense guide to understanding the problem of wireless networking security. They also do an excellent job demonstrating how to implement solutions that are quick, simple and actually work.

Overall, I would have to say that this book is a gold mine for anyone running an 802.11 network. It has helped me figure out how to implement wireless networking at home thus minimizing security risks. As usual the book is very easy reading and it's written in a very easy-going style giving the necessary background before launching into any detailed discussions. I would highly recommend this book to anyone considering or using a wireless network.

Even though given enough time my wireless network could be sniffed out, I feel much better having a better understanding of how important securing my wireless network is and knowing that I've done what I can to prevent unauthorized use.

Guidelines - 2005-10-11
Reviewer Rating:
Really well structured book, from station security (by operating system), protecting APs, to build a gateway with firewall rules taking into consideration all the protocols necessary for a wireless station operation.
A must have co-authored by the founder of The Shmoo Group.

Decent coverage of 802.11 security - 2005-06-29
Reviewer Rating:
This book provides the basic coverage of 802.11 security that the casual user would want, but leaves the information security professional wanting more. The pain point for this book is the price point and the amount of information covered. For the list price, most readers would expect much more in depth coverage of the topic including ancillary information such as monitoring for unusual activity, etc. To be fair, the author doesn't include this in the scope, but a book ambitiously titled 802.11 security in conjunction with the price, would leave the impression that there was more comprehensive coverage of other issues surrounding wireless deployment.

Not a bad book, just not what was expected when comparing to other O'Reilly books.

Great for wireless security - 2005-03-13
Reviewer Rating:
Bruce Potter knows the ins and out of 802.x security. There are a tons of security problems w/ wireless, but after reading this book, you will know what they are and at least have a semblance of intelligence on how to deal it it.

This is a great help, I loved this book.

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