Secure wireless implementation based on IEEE 802.1X network standard

Abstract

Research in Information Technology has a tremendous growth in recent years mainly due to the affordability of the technology and consequently, a high increase in interest from users. In addition, the mobility systems which imply the use of wireless networks have increased rapidly. Currently, many organizations have provided extensive wireless services to their staffs. This poses a problem of securing the easy access to the wireless networks. Therefore, authentication has become an inevitable reality in the design of such systems. This research sought for the best authentication mechanism suitable for organizations in general, and to university campuses in particular. The result of this research is then the design and implementation of an authentication scheme based on IEEE 802.1x standard. The scheme provides secure access to users engaged in the wireless connection. It implements a two-factor authentication. The first factor is the username/password combination which the user provides prior logging onto the system. The second factor is the digital certificates that are stored locally in a client’s desktop/laptop. The mechanism involved in the authentication is based on EAP-TLS, which is a type of authentication method provided by IEEE 802.1x standard. The result of the implemented system is a highly secure scheme that provides both users and computers (machines) authentication. Only legitimate users with legitimate machines can access the wireless network system in an authorized way. In addition, the idea of a Users Tracking System Application (UTSA) has been introduced. This application basically tracks the users’ status and behavior (whether they are online or offline) as long as they are utilizing the network resources. It can later be utilized to track who, when and where the users are in the network systems.