Wi-Fi Cyber Threat Modeling and Risk Mitigation Strategies
Fazal Mahmood · 2024
The global digital communications system is revolutionizing business operations. With billions of devices connected via Wi-Fi, 4G, and 5G cellular networks, these technologies form a crucial foundation for national economies. Among all wireless technologies, Wi-Fi is the most widespread, deployed globally. However, Wi-Fi's extensive availability, coupled with numerous supply chain vendors, outdated software versions, and improper configurations, makes it highly vulnerable to cyberattacks and a desirable target for cyber hackers. The ubiquity of Wi-Fi in personal, enterprise, private, and public networks elevate the severity of these cyber threats. Understanding the Wi-Fi cyber threat landscape, modeling these threats, and implementing risk mitigation strategies are essential for maintaining secure and stable network connectivity.This paper explores the Wi-Fi cyber threat landscape, associated threat models, and risk mitigation strategies. It proposes a hybrid cyber threat model for modeling threats, analyzing and scoring risk factors, and mitigating associated risks based on the risk factor. Additionally, it discusses vulnerabilities in supply chains and Wi-Fi protocols and provides security mechanisms to minimize the likelihood of cyberattacks, thereby enhancing network resiliency.