Financial Districts WiFi Security Survey

 

  • Visited 7 financial districts (6 in US, 1 in UK)
  • Scanned WiFi signal for 5 minutes at randomly selected location
  • 3632 APs scanned
  • 547 Clients scanned
  • Picked up WiFi signals at 30 randomly selected points in:New York, Chicago, Boston, Wilmington,DE, Philadelphia, San Francisco, London
  • A sample WiFi trace tells a lot about network security posture in each location.

Key Findings: Widespread Use of Insecure Practices

Overall Distribution of WiFi security

Overall Distribution of WiFi security

  • 57% of WiFi networks are either OPEN or using weak (WEP) encryption

Classification of OPEN/WEP Access Points based on vendor’s category
  • Enterprise grade APs were found configured in WEP mode instead of WPA or WPA2
    • 39% of threat posing APs (OPEN and WEP) are enterprise grade
  • 27% of open APs (non hotspot and non guest) were hiding their SSIDs
  • 61% of threat posing (OPEN and WEP) APs are home/SOHO grade
    • Such devices are operating beyond IT/Security group’s visibility and control
    • Authorized client devices can connect and bypass security controls

Distribution of WiFi Clients
  • 13% of mobile WiFi clients were found operating in ad hoc mode
    • Actively looking to connect to viral networks such as "Free Public WiFi" &  "Free Internet Access"
    • Vulnerable to wi-phishing or honeypotting

  • Personal data of finance executives leaking over the air

Financial Districts Scanning Report Clips


Financial Districts Airspace Reveals Wi-Fi Security Risks
Key Findings Demonstrate a Pattern of Wireless Data Leakage and Poor Security Practices in Six U.S. Cities and London
Financial Districts Riddled with Wireless Vulnerabilities

Financial Districts Riddled with Wireless Vulnerabilities

Search Security, Marcia Savage, 5/19/2009

AirTight Reveals Wi-Fi Security Risks for Airspace

AirTight Reveals Wi-Fi Security Risks for Airspace

Raju Shanbhag, TMCnet, 05/15/2009

Who Put the G in GRC?

IT Knowledge Exchange, David Schneier, 5/14/2009

Study reveals lack of financial wireless computer security

Marcia Savage, Features Editor, Information Security magazine, 05/14/2009

Financial and business Wi-Fi easy to crack or non-existent

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