Wireless detection is the practice of eavesdropping on communications within a wireless network using special software or hardware tools. Scanning is more intrusive than wireless wakeup, which looks for the presence of wireless networks. The reasons behind wireless detection can range from troubleshooting to a malicious attack against a network or individual.
Reasons behind wireless detection could include a malicious attack against a network or an individual.
Wired and wireless networks can be monitored or detected. Wireless networks are generally easier to detect because they use radio signals as their communication method. An attacker could, for example, sit in a car outside a home or business and sniff out a wireless network.
Wireless sniffers can be used to locate open wireless networks and spy on them.
Computer networks divide information into pieces called frames. Within these frames are packets of data. Wireless detection can target frames, packets, or both.
Address frames can reveal the presence of a wireless base station configured to remain hidden and even be used to break older wireless encryption standards. Packet sniffing, which may also be called Internet Provider (IP) sniffing, can be used to monitor email or other data sent by others over a wireless network. It can also help a network administrator observe and diagnose network problems.
To sniff wireless networks, special software known as a sniffer is used to monitor network traffic. Networked computers and devices generally only look at frames and packets that are addressed to them. The tracking software examines all frames or packages, regardless of which computer the information is sent to. The wireless card or chipset and drivers used must be capable of doing this and must be compatible with the software used.
Wireless detection normally has two types of modes: monitor mode and promiscuous mode. In monitor mode, a wireless adapter is instructed to listen for radio messages transmitted by other wireless devices without transmitting any messages of its own. This type of tracking is almost impossible to detect because the attacker does not transmit any messages. In promiscuous mode, a sniffer is associated with a specific wireless access point. This allows monitoring of all data on the access point, but may expose the sniffer.
Sometimes a malicious attacker uses the information collected during a wireless scanning session to impersonate another machine. This is known as identity theft. Wireless detection can also be used to increase security. Wireless detection can also be used to perform intrusion detection – keeping an eye on intruders or hackers on a network.
