Project: Implementing 802.1X for Secure Wireless Network at VSU

This project focuses on enhancing the wireless network security at Vancouver State University (VSU). The current open wireless network is vulnerable to unauthorized access and information breaches. The project identifies the issues, including open connections and potential hacker intrusions, and proposes a secure network design using 802.1X authentication with Cisco access points. The analysis covers the limitations of the existing IEEE 802.11b access point and the risks associated with open networks. The proposed solution involves implementing 802.1X to authenticate wireless users, thereby preventing unauthorized access and protecting sensitive information. The project evaluates the effectiveness of the proposed solution, considering the security benefits, flexibility, and scalability of the new network infrastructure. The IT team successfully implemented 802.1X, providing a more secure and manageable wireless environment for the VSU campus. The project concludes that the 802.1X implementation effectively addresses the identified security concerns.

WIRELESS NETWORK AND SECURITY

Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................2
2. Identification.................................................................................................................................2
3. Analyse..........................................................................................................................................3
4. Design............................................................................................................................................4
5. Evaluation.....................................................................................................................................5
6. Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................6
References............................................................................................................................................6
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1. Introduction
Main scope of this project is to create the secure wireless network connection for Vancouver
State University (VSU). The VSU institutions have the 4000 students and 400 staff and faculty. This
campus also has the IT team to improving their network security. The IT Team basically assess the
best latest technology to protect the VSU campus network and add the greater authorization and
authentication to VSU campus resources by using the 802.1X access control. The Current VSU
campus using the open wireless network connection. So, anyone easily accessed the campus
network. The VSU team challenged the IT team to determine the solution for open wireless
connection issues and provide the cost-effective network. Also, another is hackers are easily
accessing the VSU campus important information through the wireless network connection. The
wireless users are accessing important information about the campus. So, resolve these issues, VSU
interested to create the secure wireless network connection by using the cisco wireless access point.
It provides the secure network connection. Because the 802.1x access point authenticate the user
after connect the network. To provide the secure wireless connection to implement 802.1X
authentication for VSU's wireless network.
2. Identification
The VSU campus has two main issues. They are,
 Open Wireless connection
 Hackers accessing the Campus important information
The VSU campus has open wireless connection to accessing their network. So, every one
accessing the VSU wireless connection [1]. Also, hackers are accessing the campus important
information. The VSU campus challenged the IT team to resolve these issues. To resolve these issues
by creating the secure wireless network. The Hackers are hacking the campus information through
the wireless connection. The wireless users are easily accessing the campus sensitive information.
The IT team creating the secure wireless connection by implement the 802.1x access point. Because
the cisco 802.1x access point provides the secure network. It also provides effective and flexibility of
the network. The 802.1x access point authenticates the wireless users, after connect the campus
network. So everyone does not access the campus network and also hackers are difficult to
accessing the campus sensitive information [2].
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3. Analyse
The current wireless access point creates the various security problems. So uses the IEEE
802.11b access point. It is most mature wireless technology. It uses the 2.4 GHz ISM band and it
provides the 1Mbps speeds to 11 Mbps. It uses the direct sequence speed spectrum to encode the
data before transmitting it. In wireless network, these two names are user need to know that is
stations and access point [3]. The Stations is wireless network client that is laptop and computer. The
access point is a central point that creates the basic service to bridge the number of station from the
wireless network to other existing network. It uses the two different modes like Ad hoc mode and
Infrastructure mode. The Ad hoc mode is a equivalent to peer to peer networking. It does not have
the access point to bridge the stations together. Each station in Ad hoc mode can be communicated
with other station in wireless network. The infrastructure mode must be use the more than on
access point. It directly connected another network.
Analyse the identified issues,
The Open wireless connection provides the unsecured wireless network. It is really not safe
to connect unknown wireless users. The unknown wireless users are accessing the VSU sensitive
information like online banking information. Once user log on to applications or website that
transfer the data through wireless network [4]. The information can be easily captured by wireless
user. It allows a hacker to accessing your email or personal information in your account. It user do
not have a firewall or firewall not configured correctly and user forget to turn off file sharing on user
system, a hackers are easily accessing the hard drive through the wireless network. In open wireless
network, the hackers are easily capture the transmitted data by using the hacking tools, decrypt and
crack the WEP security key on network devices. The open wireless networks are bastions for
malicious intent [5].
Risk of Open wireless connection
 It does not require the authentication to establish a network connection and it creates the
amazing opportunity for the hacker to accessing the sensitive information.
 The highest threat to free wireless security is the ability for the hackers to hacking your
personal information such as credit, debit information, important mail and more.
 The hackers are using the unsecured wireless connection to distribute the malware. Once
you allow file sharing through a network, the hackers are easily accessing the infected
software on computer system [6]. So reduce the open wireless network connection by using,
 VPN
 SSL connection
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 Turn of Sharing
 Stay protected
4. Design
The VSU insitutation proposed network infratructure is shown in below [7].
The current VSU network is open wireless network. It does not provide the secure network
for VSU institutions. The VSU institution having the IT team to maintains the network security. So the
IT team decided to create the secure wireless network for VSU institutions by using 802.1 x access
point [8]. The proposed network infrastructure contains the 802.1x access point and it implemented
successfully. The 802.1x access point is used to provide the productivity and security for VSU
institutions. The Proposed network infrastructure is using the Cisco products to reduce the
operational costs. It Cisco 802.1x access point is used to gives the secure wireless connection. It
authenticates the user, after connect the network. So hackers are accessing VSU campus information
is difficult. The Implementation of 802.1x access point is authenticate and authorised the wireless
users after connect the wireless network [9]. So unwanted users are does not connect the campus
network. The Proposed network connection also provides the effective network connection for VSU
campus. It also gives the flexibility and scalability of the wireless network. The VSU campus identified
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issues are resolved by implementing the 802.1x access point wireless connection and also creates
the secure wireless connection.
Visio file is attached here.
5. Evaluation
The current network infrastructure allow the hackers to attack the wireless network by using the
attack methodology like,
 Active attack
 Authentication and authorization
 Passive attack
 Footprint the wireless network.
To resolve the identified issues by implement the 802.1x access point for VSU campus network
infrastructure [10].
The 802.1x access point offers the unprecedented secure and visibility at the network edge. It is
an IEEE standard for layer 2 access control. It offers the capability to permit and deny the network
connectivity depends on the identity of the device or end user. It easily enables the post based
access control by using the authentication. It can be dynamically enabled or disabled based on the
user identification. The 802.1x access point identify and authenticate the user after connect the
wireless network. So hackers are does not accessing the VSU campus internet. It provides the
greater visibility into the network because the process of authentication provides the way to link a
user name with a switch, port, MAC address and IP address [11]. This visibility is useful for trouble
shorting, network forensic, network use statistics and security audits. It use the strongest method
for authentication and it should be used for managed the assets. The managed assets are support an
802.1x supplicant. It allows user to control the network access at the access point. It basically used
to authenticate the users and devices. The 802.1x has the various limitations to enables the visibility
and security such as legacy end point support by default ad delay by default. The legacy end point is
used to provide the no network access to end point that cannot authenticate the user because they
do not support the 802.1x. So 802.1x using the alternative mechanisms to authenticate the end
point such as web authentication and MAC authentication bypass. The Delay by default is used to
allow no access before authentication. The VSU proposed network infrastructure using the 802.1x
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access point to provide the secure wireless connection. The IT team was successfully creating the
secure wireless connection by implementing the 802.1x access point [12].
6. Conclusion
The Current VSU network infrastructure does not provide the secure wireless network. So, VSU
campus was facing the lot of network problems. It has the IT team to maintain the network security
for Campus. The VSU organization team challenged to IT team for resolve the network Problems. The
IT team decided to identify the network issues after resolving the identified issues. The IT team was
identified the two issues in VSU current infrastructure such as open wireless connection and hackers
are accessing campus sensitive information. The identified issues are analysed and discussed in
detail. The IT team resolve the network issues by creating the proposed network design. The
Proposed network design was successfully created and discussed in detail. The network issues are
resolved by implemented the 802.1x access point. The implementation of 802.1x wireless access
point can be analysed and discussed in detail.
References
[1]W. Stallings, Cryptography and network security. Boston: Pearson, 2017.
[2]W. Stallings, Network security essentials. .
[3]D. Lin, G. Tsudik and X. Wang, Cryptology and network security. Berlin: Springer, 2011.
[4]T. Thomas, Network security first-step. Indianapolis, Ind.: Cisco, 2012.
[5]T. Alpcan and T. Başar, Network security. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
[6]J. Rak, J. Bay, I. Kotenko, L. Popyack, V. Skormin and K. Szczypiorski, Computer network security. .
[7]"Security Issues of WiFi - How it Works", 2017. [Online]. Available:
https://www.alienvault.com/blogs/security-essentials/security-issues-of-wifi-how-it-works.
[Accessed: 25- Sep- 2017].
[8]Usa.kaspersky.com, 2017. [Online]. Available:
https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/preemptive-safety/public-wifi-risks. [Accessed: 25-
Sep- 2017].
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[9]"Wireless Networking Security", Technet.microsoft.com, 2017. [Online]. Available:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457019.aspx. [Accessed: 25- Sep- 2017].
[10]"Securing Your Wireless Network", Consumer Information, 2017. [Online]. Available:
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0013-securing-your-wireless-network. [Accessed: 25-
Sep- 2017].
[11]"Wired 802.1X Deployment Guide", Cisco, 2017. [Online]. Available:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/solutions/Enterprise/Security/TrustSec_1-99/
Dot1X_Deployment/Dot1x_Dep_Guide.html. [Accessed: 25- Sep- 2017].
[12]"What is 802.1x Security Authentication for Wireless Networks? | Answer | NETGEAR
Support", Kb.netgear.com, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://kb.netgear.com/1209/What-is-802-
1x-Security-Authentication-for-Wireless-Networks. [Accessed: 25- Sep- 2017].
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