How Wireless Encryption works/ Security Flaw?

Question

This is how I understand it, so someone please clarify it for me.
In order for someone to gain access to a wireless network, they must give a WEP or WPA password or key. But, since it's wireless, that key must travel in open space before reaching it's destination.

What is to prevent someone from intercepting the key (and decrypting it if they choose) then forwarding that same key on to the same destination?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2) is a class of systems to secure wireless (Wi-Fi) computer networks. It was created in response to several serious weaknesses researchers had found in the previous system, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). WPA implements the majority of the IEEE 802.11i standard, and was intended as an intermediate measure to take the place of WEP while 802.11i was prepared. WPA is designed to work with all wireless network interface cards, but not necessarily with first generation wireless access points. WPA2 implements the full standard, but will not work with some older network cards. Both provide good security, with two significant issues:

* either WPA or WPA2 must be enabled and chosen in preference to WEP. WEP is usually presented as the first security choice in most installation instructions.
* in the "Personal" mode, the most likely choice for homes and small offices, a passphrase is required that, for full security, must be longer than the typical 6 to 8 character passwords users are taught to employ.

Answer 2

First of all, you’re assuming they are using WEP, WPA or a method of encrypton to connect to an access point.

You don’t need a password or key to gain access to a wireless network that is unsecured.

Ok, back to my first statement. I agree with the well defined posts on encryption. One of them applies to the authentication procedure and the last one applied to a type of file encryption rather then a transmission and receive methodology such as asymmetrical key encryption.

WPA is a challenge to crack and/or bypass that many have failed at. Is it impossible? No. Has it been done? Yes.

The term “sniffing” for wireless signals was one the most common method used by amateurs in the field. With the encryption advances in WPA, that is now becoming less and less of an issue. The people that want to steal your information will take the easiest paths and there are many easier ways to get your information if they have access to the same access point and subnet as you.

I hope this answers some of your questions, good luck.

Answer 3

Modern Encryption (Public Key) uses 2 keys -- a public key and a private key. You keep the private key secret (never transmit it) and make the public key available to anyone (and transmit it). Its computationally impossible to read a message that was encoded with a significant bit size without knowing the private key. This is because there is no formula known for factoring a number into its primes quickly. See www.rsalabs.com for more info.

Answer 4

Like anything else , there is a way , but it is very compliated and is not always possible. Thats why you dont hear much about it. But i recently read an article about 2 guys who found ways to access laptops via a wireless network card without the client even bieng connected so anything is possible