For a small fee of $445, this little device
has the potential to jam Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals.
According to Cognio, a leading provider of tools to fix RF interference, physical layer denial-of-service attacks are an increasing threat to wireless deployments. Specifically the company argues:
* Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks are a result of intentional or unintentional transmissions of some type of signal to interrupt normal network activity.
* These attacks can be intentional using an RF jammer or unintentional via installation or misconfiguration of devices such as cordless phones and video cameras.
* Several new, inexpensive jamming devices have emerged that make it easy for a malicious hacker to cause network failure.
* Many physical layer Denial of Service issues are not detected by Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS).
* The threat of physical layer denial of service attacks is on the rise due to the growth in Wi-Fi networks.
Case Examples
1. One Cognio customer, who operates an auction house with wireless bidding systems, reported that some bidders claimed they could not place bids at crucial moments. A DoS attack was suspected. Cognio's wireless spectrum analyzer, Spectrum Expert, quickly identified the source as an intentional frequency jammer. A man, located in the spot Spectrum Expert indicated, was escorted from the auction premises.
"The man refused to open his backpack and argued that he didn't have any idea what we were talking about," said an auction manager. "When we showed him the Spectrum Expert data, he shut up and left. The interference was gone, too."
2. A well-known international courier firm's Wi-Fi network was occasionally having problems, and the firm feared a DoS attack was occurring. Its use of wireless networks was essential to the rapid flow of information on in-transit packages. A network disruption could result in massive delays in package delivery times, a serious blow to the company's delivery promise. They used Spectrum Expert to solve the problem, and regularly use Spectrum Expert to sweep for further threats.
"DoS attacks are a very real threat to the integrity and reliability of a wireless network. We're hearing more of these types of threats from customers, who are themselves experts in Wi-Fi technology," said David Coleman, founder and CEO of AirSpy Training. "Cognio's tool helps track down and eliminate these types of threats, and finds security problems that IDS/IPS systems can't detect."
"In a business like ours, it's simply unacceptable for critical networks to be unavailable. We rely on it to communicate vital information and coordinate innumerable tasks. Spectrum Expert provides a real value in just the peace of mind it creates, for both our company and our customers. Of course, it's also alerted us to potential threats to our network integrity, information that we consider absolutely invaluable to the well-being of our company," said David Black, president and CEO of Insource Technology Corporation
Jamming Device Vendor Sites and Related Links
* Protecting Wi-Fi Networks from Hidden Layer 1 Security Threats
http://www.cognio.com/ index.php?option=com_philaform&form_id=11
* Gizmodo Wireless Jammer http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/wireless-jammer-114698.php
* Spymodex Video Camera Jammer http://www.spymodex.com/video.htm
* Digg discussion of Open Source Wi-Fi, Cellphone, GPS and Bluetooth RF Jammer http://www.digg.com/gadgets/ Open_source_Wi_Fi_cellphone_GPS_and_Bluetooth_RF_jammer
* Radio Jamming Attacks against Two Popular Mobile Network Types http://web.media.mit.edu/~ladyada/techproj/freshair/doc/ stahlberg%20cell%20jamming.pdf
* PTA Cancels Licenses for Jamming Devices http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=42992
* RSA: Attendees Drop Ball on Wi-Fi Security http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command= viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=mobile_and_wireless&articleId= 9011100&taxonomyId=15
* Low Power DoS Attacks in Data Wireless LANs and Countermeasures http://www.sigmobile.org/mobihoc/2003/posters/p223-noubir.pdf
* Cognio Spectrum Expert product information page http://www.cognio.com/wifi.html
* AirSpy Training http://www.airspy.com
(Due to the length of some of these URLs, it may be necessary to copy and paste the above hyperlinks into your Internet browser's address field, remove the extra space if one exists.)
