WPS Insecurities & False Prophets

There has been a lot of conversation throughout the start of this year among the security community about what WPS is and how it has provided hackers world wide with a simple and effective way to gain access to previously “secure” WiFi networks. Firstly we will be taking a closer look at the WPS technology itself, the protocols that make it up and what it’s fundamental issues mean for individuals and organisations alike. For those who are unfamiliar with WPS we begin with a brief introduction to the technology itself.

WiFi Protected Set-up or WPS, as it is more commonly known, is a standard that was created in 2007 by the WiFi alliance. Their goal was simple: to provide secureand easy step-by-step router configuration for the average home user.

WiFi enabled routers are now of course rolled out by most ISP’s as part of a standard Internet package, their popularity has effectively skyrocketed over the last few years to a point where WiFi enabled routers are now of course considered to be common place in the majority of households.

Unfortunately beyond a basic understanding of such technology, the majority of home users are blissfully unaware (through no fault of their own) as to the inner workings of a WiFi router let alone how to configure it correctly and securely.