Lab H – Securing a Wireless Network

Lab Goals

• Perform the steps to secure a wireless network from attacks.

Lab Purpose

This lab will provide you with the opportunity to learn how to secure a small wireless network by applying common security settings that are available on a wireless router/access point.

Lab Resources

You will use your textbook, lecture materials, and online resources as guidelines to secure (or simulate securing) a wireless router/access point that you own or might consider purchasing in the future.

A couple of helpful online resources to help you secure your wireless network can be found here:

• https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-secure-your-home-wi-fi-network
• https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/securing-wireless-networks

Lab Instructions

Preface

This lab does not have specific step-by-step instructions because each student will have different wireless routers/access points and/or may not have administrative access to one at all. As a result, you will need to do online research to locate documentation for your specific wireless router/access point or one that you may consider purchasing/obtaining in the future.

While it would be ideal, you don’t have to save any of the changes to your running configuration on your wireless router/access point during this lab, and doing so is at your own risk. This risk includes potentially changing a setting that may impact your ability to access your wireless network. If you are not confident in performing these tasks, you can simulate performing the tasks without saving any of your changes. Your instructor assumes no risk for your actions and is not responsible for fixing your wireless network if anything goes wrong during this process.

In addition, you must own the equipment you are configuring or have the explicit permission of the equipment owner before configuring the equipment. If you do not have administrative access to a wireless router/access point, research one online and locate documentation to learn how to access and configure various security settings.

Part 1 – Select and Implement Wireless Security Controls

1. Using the lab resources located above, select three recommendations that have been shared to secure a wireless network.
2. Proceed in either following your equipment manufacturer’s instructions for carrying out these recommendations on your wireless router/access point or simulating this process on your equipment without saving any of the changes.

Alternatively, if you don’t have access to a wireless router/access point to configure, you can use a tp-link emulator located at: https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/emulator/ Select a common/popular model for a Wi-Fi Router.Even though this is an alternative option, it is the recommended one if you are uncomfortable or unable to configure your wireless router/access point.

1. Respond to the following questions/tasks in your lab report (see part 2 below):
   1. What three recommendations did you choose to follow or simulate following?
   2. In your own words, describe how implementing these recommendations will improve the security of your wireless network. Elaborate and be descriptive. Assume you were explaining this to a customer who hired you to do this and is watching you and asking you questions but be technical at the same time.
   3. Take a screenshot of each screen/page of your wireless router’s/access point’s administrative portal (or emulator) that you used to configure your wireless network settings.
      1. Redact any sensitive information that may be displayed on the screenshot and label each one as described below.

Part 2 – Build and Submit Lab Report

1. Create a lab report in your word processing application (Word, Google Docs, etc.).
   1. Your lab should be organized as follows:
      1. Title page or page heading with your name, course number, assignment name, professor’s name, and date.
      2. Insert the questions you are responding to in Part 1, below each, add your response/answer. Also, provide the corresponding screenshot for each control that you implemented.
      3. You must put them in sequential order, and you must label each screenshot. Labeling them means it should look like this:

Title Page

New Page

Question 1

Answer 1

Question 2

Answer 2

Screenshot 1 Label (describe the screenshot)

< Screenshot 1 goes here>

Screenshot 2 Label (describe the screenshot)

< Screenshot 2 goes here>

Screenshot 3 Label (describe the screenshot)

< Screenshot 3 goes here>

Note: All three screenshots must be different, not the same. If there is more than one of your implemented controls on a single screenshot, make multiple copies of it – each one must be labeled differently and it must be annotated to show the specific control you are referencing (you can do this with a circle, box, arrow with text, etc.

1. Verify that you have inserted your screenshots and have the report formatted correctly.
2. Submit the completed Word document to this area before the deadline. You may also save/convert it as a PDF before submitting it. This must be submitted as an attachment, not a link.

Lab Complete!

Requirements: 500