Title: Securing Wi-Fi networks with position verification: extended version

Authors: Robert A. Malaney

Addresses: School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, The University of New SouthWales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

Abstract: In this paper we investigate position-based enhancements to Wi-Fi network security. Specifically, we investigate whether Received Signal Strength (RSS) measurements can identify attempts at network access by malicious nodes exterior to an authorised network perimeter. We assume the malicious nodes will spoof their received or transmitted power-levels in attempts to circumvent standard position-based security techniques. We outline why residual analysis of the RSS measurements cannot robustly identify illegal network access requests. However, we show that by referring the residual RSS analysis to a |claimed position|, interior to the authorised perimeter, a robust position-based verification system for secure network access can be developed. Indoor systems based on RSS fingerprints and differential RSS fingerprints are studied. Outdoor systems under the assumption of log-normal shadowing are also investigated.

Keywords: location; security; wireless networks; wi-fi networks; position verification; network access; malicious nodes; received signal strength; RSS measurement; residual analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSN.2007.012822

International Journal of Security and Networks, 2007 Vol.2 No.1/2, pp.27 - 36

Published online: 16 Mar 2007 *

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