Defending IEEE 802.11-based networks against denial of service attacks
Boon Hwed Tan · 2003
The convenience of IEEE 802.11-based wireless access networks has led to widespread deployment in the consumer, industrial and military sectors. However, this use is predicated on an implicit assumption of confidentiality and availability. In addition to widely publicized security flaws in IEEE 802.11's basic confidentially mechanisms, the threats to network availability presents any equal, if not greater danger to users of IEEE 802.11-based networks. It has been successfully demonstrated that IEEE 802.11 is highly susceptible to malicious denial-of-service (DoS) attacks targeting its management and media access protocols. Computer simulation models have proven to be effective tools in the study of cause and effect in numerous fields. This thesis involved the design and implementation of a IEEE 802.11-based simulation model using OMNeT++, to investigate the effects of different types of DoS attacks on a IEEE 802.11 network, and the effectiveness of corresponding countermeasures.