Wi-Fi Hacking: How It Works, and How to Stay Secure

How Wi-Fi Hacking Works: 6 Common Techniques

Cybercriminals can infiltrate wireless network security and hack Wi-Fi in many different ways.

#1. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

Cybercriminals create fake public Wi-Fi, and once users join the network, hackers are free to intercept and manipulate traffic, positioning themselves “in the middle” between users or users and an application. This allows the hacker to access and steal information moving back and forth or imitate one of the parties for malicious activities.

This includes coercing users to reveal sensitive information such as their credit card numbers or login credentials. Typically, man-in-the-middle attacks target users communicating with:

• E-commerce platforms
• SaaS apps
• Banking apps

#2. Brute Force Attacks

Using bots to try combinations of popular password phrases or random inputs, attackers can eventually gain access to Wi-Fi networks – “brute forcing” their way in. Once they have a foothold on the network, they can steal sensitive information, inject malware, and interfere with operations.

#3. Packet Sniffing

A passive way of hacking Wi-Fi, packet sniffing intercepts data packets moving across wireless networks with the goal of obtaining sensitive information.

These attacks often target unsecured public networks, monitoring suitable Wi-Fi network activity to target.

#4. Phishing Attacks

Phishing attempts to actively deceive users, making them willingly or accidentally provide their sensitive information to the attacker or download malware themselves. This typically involves impersonating a trusted entity or someone they know using email or other online messages.

Phishing is often the entry point for other attacks, such as:

• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Adding malware to trusted sites when the user accesses it. This can be done in multiple ways, including adding it to the end of the URL.

• On-Path Attacks: The hacker intercepts traffic between the web browser and server to either gain access to sensitive data or mimic the communications to manipulate the end user.

#5. Evil Twin Attacks

Phishing and evil twin attacks are both forms of social engineering attacks that aim to trick users.

In evil twin attacks or rogue wireless access point attacks, cybercriminals create false Wi-Fi networks to capture information on the users accessing it. These malicious networks are set up near legitimate networks that the user is likely already familiar with while also utilizing similar-sounding names.

Cybercriminals can now quickly create evil twin networks using Internet-capable devices and readily available software.

#6. Jamming Attacks

Jamming is a type of denial of service (DoS) attack that floods the Wi-Fi network with unwanted interference to inhibit performance or prevent legitimate devices from connecting. The ultimate goal is often to render the network unusable. Generally, jamming attacks require the use of physical devices to create the necessary noise to interfere with network operations.

Ensuring Public Wi-Fi Security

Given the added risk they pose, special considerations have to be taken when accessing public Wi-Fi networks:

1. Always double-check the network name before connecting and check for multiple networks with similar names.
2. Disable auto-connect and remove networks from your device when you no longer need them.
3. Utilize a VPN to encrypt the data passing between your device and the network.
4. Set up multi-factor authentication when logging into apps and websites to ensure only you have access.
5. Limit your activity and avoid accessing your most sensitive services, such as banking apps.

The convenience of public Wi-Fi networks is at odds with the additional risk they can pose. Therefore, your public network security best practices should always be stricter than those of personal or enterprise networks.

Understand Wireless Network Security with Check Point

To better understand how Wi-Fi hacking works and discover more advanced methods of protecting your networks, contact a Check Point security expert.

Alternatively, you can sign up for Hacking Point, Check Point’s online cybersecurity courses.