Teaching wireless security for results

ABSTRACT

Wireless networking, and especially wireless security, has become an increasingly important area of study for our students. To this end, we have developed a third course in our wireless sequence called Security of Wireless Networks. We have provided the students with a fast paced and interesting lab environment in which they can deploy the various techniques they have learned in lecture. To ensure that the students obtain what is necessary to survive as a wireless networking professional, we have been teaching both traditional and emerging security concepts.This wireless security course is divided into three separate phases. With each successive phase, the tools and techniques list grows, resulting in stronger defenses against network attacks. One of the best techniques to ensure that students are prepared to defend networks is to allow them to see through the hackers' eyes. As they move through the course, they must launch their own attacks. In this way, they learn what works and what does not, gaining in-depth understanding about the attack/risk and the defense/response. As their skills grow, they install defenses of increasing complexity while defending against increasingly sophisticated attacks. Students are rewarded for successful attacks and successful defenses.By adopting a team-based, attack/defend approach, we ensure that the students understand the threats and deploy appropriate defenses while being supported by their peers. After each phase, the teams give a presentation regarding their techniques so that everyone benefits maximally from the exercise. By using phases, we can differentiate between levels of responses and process the previous results to better absorb the experience and material. Our innovative teaching approach ensures that they develop the vital abilities demanded by the industry. This paper will describe the course content, methodologies, experiences, structure and demonstrated results.

REFERENCES

• 1: Akin, Devin, Certified Wireless Security Professional Official Study Guide, McGraw-Hill, 2003
• 2: Bruce Hartpence , Lawrence Hill, Wireless carts: an inexpensive education and research platform, Proceedings of the 6th conference on Information technology education, October 20-22, 2005, Newark, NJ, USA [doi>10.1145/1095714.1095734]
• 3: Jackson, William, "Cadets Keep NSA Crackers at Bay", Government Computer News, May 20, 2002.
• 4: Norfolk, David, "Understanding Ethical Hacking", PC Network Advisor, Issue 128 March 2001.
• 5: Planet3Wireless, Inc., www.cwnp.com.
• 6: Andrew Vladimirov , Konstantin V. Gravrilenko , Andrei A. Mikhailovskiy, Wi-Foo: The Secrets of Wireless Hacking, Pearson Education, 2004

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.0 General
          Subjects: Security and protection (e.g., firewalls)

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design
          Subjects: Wireless communication

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Information systems education

General Terms:
Security

Keywords:
attack/defend, teaching, wireless security