A Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS) is a dedicated security device or software application that monitors a wireless local area network (WLAN) or Wi-Fi network’s radio spectrum for rogue access points and other wireless threats, ensuring network security and operational integrity.
The primary goal of a WIPS is to detect unauthorized or rogue activities and frequencies on a wireless network and automatically shut them down to prevent any malicious attacks against the network and its users. Advanced WIPS devices can also identify known wireless devices and assess their potential security risks.
Operated at the data link layer of the OSI networking model, a WIPS compares MAC addresses and radio frequency signatures to detect threats to the wireless network. It can be deployed in three ways: time slicing, integrated WIPS, and WIPS overlay, with WIPS overlay systems providing comprehensive monitoring and protection but coming with higher costs.
Wi-Fi networks are vulnerable to various threats, including man-in-the-middle attacks, rogue access points, evil twin access points, password attacks, packet sniffing, denial-of-service attacks, and wireless jamming. A robust WIPS can defend against these threats and help maintain compliance with internal security policies and external regulations, such as those set by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council.
To ensure the security of a wireless network, it is essential to understand the types of wireless network attacks and implement best practices for wireless network security. By deploying a WIPS along with following security guidelines, organizations can prevent threats and vulnerabilities in their wireless networks.