How easy is it to hack my WEP keys?
Public-domain cracker programs like AirSnarf, AirSnort and WebCrack are wireless LAN (WLAN) tools which recover encryption keys. They operate by passively monitoring transmissions, computing the encryption key when enough packets have been gathered. 802.11b, using Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), is crippled with numerous security flaws.
Most damning of these is the weakness described in " Weaknesses in the Key Scheduling Algorithm of RC4 " by Scott Fluhrer, Itsik Mantin and Adi Shamir. Adam Stubblefield was the first to implement this attack, but he has not made his software public.
The programs require approximately 5-10 million encrypted packets to be gathered. Once enough packets have been gathered, AirSnort can guess the encryption password in under a second!
WPA and 802.1x definition
WPA stands for ”WiFi Protected Access’ and it is a new standard jointly proposed by the IEEE and Wi-Fi Alliance. WPA is a specification of standards-based and interoperable security enhancements that increase the level of data protection and access control for WiFi networks.
WPA uses user authentication using 802.1X and EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol). These standards specify the use of adjunct servers and databases, such as RADIUS (Remote Authorization Dial In User Services).
WiFi4Less’s hosted solutions remove the burden of Radius servers,
database, software and configuration, and give you an easy web interface to
manage and control your security.
Articles and Links:
http://www.newswireless.net/articles/021123-protect.html
http://www.wirelessethernet.com/OpenSection/pdf/Wi-Fi_Protected_Access_Overview.pdf