802.11b automated encryption key cycling (was Re: 802.11g and security)

[richard childers / kg6hac]

I'm curious as to why someone has not deployed an 802.11b server that 
changes keys daily, or even more frequently?

A mechanism for pushing the new keys out to existing clients and 
synchronizing its installation, under UNIX, would seem to be 
straightforward - with or without additional levels of encryption. For 
Windows, you'd probably need to install a special client, but for UNIX 
it could be done with a shellscript.

Such a WEP server would go a long way towards rendering WEP-cracking 
utilities useless.

Daemonized Networking Services uses these services inhouse and is 
developing a version for sale .... if there's any interest, feel free to 
contact us.

Regards,

-- richard

-- 

Richard Childers / Senior Engineer
Daemonized Networking Services
945 Taraval Street, #105
San Francisco, CA 94116 USA
[011.]1.415.759.5571
https://www.daemonized.com



Nick Christenson wrote:

>>>        - note that WEP is NOT secure ... ( its been cracked )
>>>      
>>>
>>Definitely, and that point needs to be chanted in deep sonorous
>>tones with a tenor wailing away a few octaves higher.  All the 
>>while the message should be flashed in huge blinky
>>ten meters tall scrolling around the entire edge of a city
>>block.
>>    
>>
>
>This is fine, but that doesn't mean that it isn't worthwhile to use
>WEP.  Yes, even a moderately determined intruder can cut through WEP
>like it was soft cheese, but it's still posting a "must be *this* 
>determined to crack my network" sign.  Cracking a WEP encrypted network
>will take minutes to hours, depending on the traffic and luck.  Cracking
>a non-WEP 802.11 network will take seconds.  WEP may not afford much
>protection, but it is, as the saying goes, better than nothing.
>It's like using The Club on your car.  It's not effective against a 
>determined thief, but as long as the cars next to you don't use it, 
>joy-riders will probably steal their car and not yours.
>  
>
<etc>