Welcome
You have reached the Wireless Network Security Research Grant site. If you are at this site, you received notification in your mailbox that we were in the neighborhood conducting a security survey. If you would like to volunteer for more detailed testing, please click here to sign up. Otherwise, please continue reading for more information on this project. After further consideration, we hope you will partcipate in our research and allow us to test your network and let you know about the vulnerabilities we find!
Who are we?
Our names are Alvin Fong, Ryan Keane, and Kiley Williams. All of us are Information Systems Majors at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) here in Pittsburgh. This semester, we received Carnegie Mellon University's Small Undergraduate Research Grant to conduct surveys on wireless home and small business networks.
What were we doing in your neighborhood?
Initially, we survey neighborhoods in Pittsburgh to collect information on wireless access points or routers. By using a wireless card and GPS device, we find wireless networks in your area, in addition to what kind of wireless security is being used by those networks.
Why are we doing it ?
This project is an extension of security vulnerabilities we learned about in 19-601 Information Warfare class at Carnegie Mellon University. This research project gives us a chance to apply some of the concepts and techniques we learned in class.
Many companies have IT teams to address security issues, while home users and small businesses rarely have the time, money, and techncial expertise needed to secure their networks. We'd like to research ways of making it easier to be secure, and bringing awareness to citizens as to what they are in danger of broadcasting wirelessly.
Why should I volunteer for more detailed testing?
In return for 1 to 2 hours of your time, we are offering to give you a more in depth analysis and report on vulnerabilities we find on your network. You will not be required to be with us this entire time, nor will we neccessarily need entrance to your home. However, you can feel free to supervise us, ask us questions about what we are doing, and any security related questions at that time. You can abort the experiment at any time you feel uncomfortable.
I already use WEP encryption, should I be worried?
There is a weakeness in the encryption algorithm that allows a perpetrator to break the encryption in a relatively short period of time. We can discuss this more in detail with you if you'd like.
What if I have questions?
Feel free to e-mail us via afong@andrew.cmu.edu with any questions you have about the procedure. We'd be happy to answer any issues you may have before, during, or after the testing period.