Guidelines for Securing 

Wireless Local Area Networks 

(WLANs)

Recommendations of the National Institute 

of Standards and Technology

Murugiah Souppaya

Karen Scarfone

Special Publication 800-153
NIST Special Publication 800-153 Guidelines for Securing Wireless Local 

Area Networks (WLANs)

Recommendations of the National 

Institute of Standards and Technology

Murugiah Souppaya

Karen Scarfone

C O M P U T E R S E C U R I T Y

Computer Security Division

Information Technology Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930

February 2012

U.S. Department of Commerce

John Bryson, Secretary

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Patrick D. Gallagher, 

 Under Secretary for Standards and Technology

 and Director
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

iii

Reports on Computer Systems Technology

The Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology 

(NIST) promotes the U.S. economy and public welfare by providing technical leadership for the nation’s 

measurement and standards infrastructure. ITL develops tests, test methods, reference data, proof of 

concept implementations, and technical analysis to advance the development and productive use of 

information technology. ITL’s responsibilities include the development of technical, physical, 

administrative, and management standards and guidelines for the cost-effective security and privacy of 

sensitive unclassified information in Federal computer systems. This Special Publication 800-series 

reports on ITL’s research, guidance, and outreach efforts in computer security and its collaborative 

activities with industry, government, and academic organizations.

Certain commercial entities, equipment, or materials may be identified in this 

document in order to describe an experimental procedure or concept adequately. 

Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the 

National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the 

entities, materials, or equipment are necessarily the best available for the purpose.

National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-153

24 pages (Feb. 2012)
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

iv

Acknowledgments

The authors, Murugiah Souppaya of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and 

Karen Scarfone of Scarfone Cybersecurity, wish to thank their colleagues who reviewed drafts of this 

document and contributed to its technical content, particularly Sheila Frankel, Arnold Johnson, and Terry 

Hahn of NIST, and representatives from the Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of 

National Intelligence.

Trademark Information

All trademarks and registered trademarks belong to their respective organizations.
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

v

Table of Contents

Executive Summary.................................................................................................................vi

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Authority....................................................................................................................1

1.2 Purpose and Scope...................................................................................................1

1.3 Audience ...................................................................................................................1

1.4 Document Structure ..................................................................................................1

2. WLAN Security Configuration ......................................................................................... 3

2.1 Configuration Design.................................................................................................4

2.1.1 Needs Gathering........................................................................................... 4

2.1.2 WLAN Architecture........................................................................................ 4

2.2 Configuration Implementation, Evaluation, and Maintenance ....................................7

3. WLAN Security Monitoring .............................................................................................. 8

3.1 WLAN Security Monitoring Basics .............................................................................8

3.1.1 Attack Monitoring .......................................................................................... 9

3.1.2 Vulnerability Monitoring................................................................................10

3.2 Monitoring Tools......................................................................................................10

3.3 Continuous Monitoring Recommendations ..............................................................11

3.4 Periodic Assessment Recommendations.................................................................12

List of Appendices

Appendix A— Supporting NIST SP 800-53 Security Controls and Publications ................13

Appendix B— Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................16

Appendix C— References ......................................................................................................17

List of Figures

Figure 1: Simplified View of WLAN Architecture......................................................................... 3
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

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Executive Summary

A wireless local area network (WLAN) is a group of wireless networking devices within a limited 

geographic area, such as an office building, that exchange data through radio communications. WLAN 

technologies are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and its amendments.1 The fundamental components 

of an IEEE 802.11 WLAN (hereafter referred to as a “WLAN” in this publication) are client devices, such 

as laptops and smartphones, and access points (APs), which logically connect client devices with a 

distribution system, typically the organization’s wired network infrastructure. Some WLANs also use 

wireless switches, which act as intermediaries between APs and the distribution system. 

The security of each WLAN is heavily dependent on how well each WLAN component—including client 

devices, APs, and wireless switches—is secured throughout the WLAN lifecycle, from initial WLAN

design and deployment through ongoing maintenance and monitoring. Unfortunately, WLANs are 

typically less secure than their wired counterparts for several reasons, including the ease of access to the 

WLAN and the weak security configurations often used for WLANs (to favor convenience over security). 

The purpose of this publication is to help organizations improve their WLAN security by providing 

recommendations for WLAN security configuration and monitoring. This publication supplements other 

NIST publications by consolidating and strengthening their key recommendations.

Organizations should implement the following guidelines to improve the security of their WLANs.

Have standardized security configurations for common WLAN components, such as client devices 

and APs.

A standardized configuration provides a base level of security, reducing vulnerabilities and lessening the 

impact of successful attacks. Standardized configurations can also significantly reduce the time and effort 

needed to secure WLAN components and verify their security, particularly if the configuration can be 

deployed and verified through automated means.

When planning WLAN security, consider the security not only of the WLAN itself, but also how it 

may affect the security of other networks.

A WLAN is usually connected to an organization’s wired networks, and WLANs may also be connected 

to each other. For WLANs that need wired network access, their client devices should be allowed access 

only to the necessary hosts on the wired network using only the required protocols. Also, an organization 

should have separate WLANs if there is more than one security profile for WLAN usage; for example, an 

organization should have logically separated WLANs for external use (such as guests) and internal use. 

Devices on one WLAN should not be able to connect to devices on a logically separated WLAN.

Have policies that clearly state which forms of dual connections are permitted or prohibited for 

WLAN client devices, and enforce these policies through the appropriate security controls.

The term “dual connected” generally refers to a client device that is connected to both a wired network 

and a WLAN at the same time. If an attacker gains unauthorized wireless access to a dual-connected 

client device, the attacker could then use it to access or attack resources on the wired network. 

Organizations should consider the risks posed not only by the traditional form of dual connectness, but 

also by other forms involving multiple wireless networks. It is common today for client devices to be 

connected to multiple wireless networks simultaneously, such as cell phone, WiMAX, Bluetooth, and 

WLAN networks. Organizations should assess the risk of the possible combinations of network 

 

1

See [GAO-11-43] for additional information on the history of the IEEE 802.11 standard for WLANs.
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

vii

technologies for their WLAN client devices and determine how those risks should be mitigated. If one or 

more of the networks cannot have its risk mitigated to an acceptable level, then dual connections 

involving that network may pose too much risk to the organization and may need to be prohibited.

Ensure that the organization’s WLAN client devices and APs have configurations at all times that 

are compliant with the organization’s WLAN policies.

After designing WLAN security configurations for client devices and APs, an organization should 

determine how the configurations will be implemented, evaluate the effectiveness of the implementations, 

deploy the implementations to the appropriate devices, and maintain the configurations and their 

implementations throughout the devices’ lifecycles. Organizations should standardize, automate, and 

centralize as much of their WLAN security configuration implementation and maintenance as practical. 

This allows organizations to implement consistent WLAN security throughout the enterprise, to detect 

and correct unauthorized changes to configurations, and to react quickly when newly identified 

vulnerabilities or recent incidents indicate a need to change the WLAN’s security configuration.

Perform both attack monitoring and vulnerability monitoring to support WLAN security.

Security monitoring is important for all systems and networks, but it is generally even more important for 

WLANs because of the increased risks that they face. Organizations should continuously monitor their 

WLANs for both WLAN-specific and general (wired network) attacks. Organizations should do largely 

the same vulnerability monitoring for WLAN components that they do for any other software: identifying 

patches and applying them, and verifying security configuration settings and adjusting them as needed. 

These actions should be performed at least as often for WLAN components as they are for the 

organization’s equivalent wired systems.

Conduct regular periodic technical security assessments for the organization’s WLANs.

These assessments should be performed at least annually to evaluate the overall security of the WLAN. In 

addition, organizations should perform periodic assessments at least quarterly unless continuous 

monitoring of WLAN security is already collecting all of the necessary information about WLAN attacks 

and vulnerabilities needed for assessment purposes.
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1. Introduction

1.1 Authority

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed this document in furtherance of its 

statutory responsibilities under the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002, 

Public Law 107-347.

NIST is responsible for developing standards and guidelines, including minimum requirements, for 

providing adequate information security for all agency operations and assets; but such standards and 

guidelines shall not apply to national security systems. This guideline is consistent with the requirements 

of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, Section 8b(3), “Securing Agency 

Information Systems,” as analyzed in A-130, Appendix IV: Analysis of Key Sections. Supplemental 

information is provided in A-130, Appendix III.

This guideline has been prepared for use by Federal agencies. It may be used by nongovernmental 

organizations on a voluntary basis and is not subject to copyright, though attribution is desired. 

Nothing in this document should be taken to contradict standards and guidelines made mandatory and 

binding on Federal agencies by the Secretary of Commerce under statutory authority, nor should these 

guidelines be interpreted as altering or superseding the existing authorities of the Secretary of Commerce, 

Director of the OMB, or any other Federal official.

1.2 Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this publication is to provide organizations with recommendations for improving the 

security configuration and monitoring of their IEEE 802.11 wireless local area networks (WLANs) and 

their devices connecting to those networks. The scope of this publication is limited to unclassified 

wireless networks and unclassified facilities within range of unclassified wireless networks.

This publication supplements other NIST publications by consolidating and strengthening their key 

recommendations, and it points readers to the appropriate NIST publications for additional information 

(see Appendix C for the full list of references and Appendix A for a list of major security controls 

relevant for WLAN security). This publication does not eliminate the need to follow recommendations in 

other NIST publications, such as [SP800-48] and [SP800-97]. If there is a conflict between 

recommendations in this publication and another NIST wireless publication, the recommendation in this 

publication takes precedence.

1.3 Audience

The primary audience for this publication is security professionals, network professionals, system 

administrators, and others who are responsible for planning, implementing, maintaining, and monitoring 

the security of their organization’s WLANs and the devices that connect to those WLANs.

1.4 Document Structure

The remainder of this document is composed of the following sections and appendices:

 Section 2 provides recommendations for WLAN security configuration, including configuration 

design, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance.
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 Section 3 presents an overview of WLAN security monitoring and gives related

recommendations, including criteria for selecting monitoring tools and guidelines for determining 

how often to perform monitoring.

 Appendix A lists the major controls from NIST Special Publication 800-53, Recommended 

Security Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations that affect WLAN security.

 Appendix B provides a list of acronyms and abbreviations used in this document.

 Appendix C lists references for this document.
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2. WLAN Security Configuration

Wireless networking enables computing devices with wireless capabilities to use computing resources 

without being physically connected to a network. The devices simply need to be within a certain distance 

(known as the range) of the wireless network infrastructure. Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are 

groups of wireless networking devices within a limited geographic area, such as an office building, that 

are capable of exchanging data through radio communications. WLANs are usually implemented as 

extensions to existing wired local area networks (LANs) to provide enhanced user mobility and network 

access. WLAN technologies are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and its amendments. Throughout the 

rest of this publication, the generic term “WLAN” refers to an IEEE 802.11 WLAN.

The two fundamental types of WLAN components are client devices (such as laptops and smartphones) 

and access points (APs), which logically connect client devices with a distribution system (DS), typically 

the organization’s wired network infrastructure. The DS is the means by which client devices can 

communicate with the organization’s wired LANs and external networks such as the Internet. Some 

WLANs also use wireless switches, which act as intermediaries between APs and the DS. The purpose of 

the switch is to assist administrators in managing the WLAN infrastructure. Figure 1 shows a simplified 

view of WLAN components that includes a wireless switch. WLANs without wireless switches have a 

similar architecture, except that the APs connect directly to the DS.

AP AP

AP

Wireless Switch DS

Figure 1: Simplified View of WLAN Architecture

The security of each of the WLAN components—including client devices, APs, and wireless switches—is 

heavily dependent on their WLAN security configuration. This section explains why having standardized 

security configurations is important for WLAN components and provides recommendations for 

designing, implementing, evaluating, and maintaining those configurations, particularly for client devices. 
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

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As explained in Section 1.2, the recommendations presented in this section supplement those provided for 

specific WLAN technologies by other NIST publications [SP800-48, SP800-97].

This section does not provide an exhaustive explanation of the entire security configuration lifecycle; 

rather, it highlights a few topics of particular relevance to WLAN security. Section 2.1 discusses security 

configuration design, while Section 2.2 focuses on security configuration implementation, evaluation, and 

maintenance.

2.1 Configuration Design 

Organizations should have standardized security configurations for their common WLAN components, 

such as client devices and APs. A standardized configuration provides a base level of security, reducing 

vulnerabilities and lessening the impact of successful attacks. Standardized configuration use improves 

the consistency and predictability of security, in conjunction with user training and awareness activities 

and other supporting security controls. Standardized configurations can also provide a large resource 

savings by reducing the time needed to secure each WLAN device and to verify its configuration for 

security assessments, audits, etc., particularly if the configuration can be deployed and verified through 

automated means. 

This section focuses on two noteworthy aspects of configuration design: gathering needs and designing 

WLAN architectures.

2.1.1 Needs Gathering

Before designing a WLAN security architecture or WLAN component security configurations, an 

organization should gather information on needs, particularly operational and security related ones. This 

should include identifying relevant WLAN security requirements from applicable laws, policies, 

regulations, etc. For Federal agencies, this often includes requirements from OMB, the Government 

Accountability Office (GAO), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other agencies. Another 

part of needs gathering is identifying and reviewing recommended WLAN security practices from Federal 

agencies (e.g., NIST Special Publications, DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides), WLAN 

vendors, and other parties [NCP]. See Section 9 of [SP800-94] for examples of possible requirements to 

include in needs gathering.

In addition to identifying these requirements and recommendations, organizations should also determine 

what threats their WLAN security faces. Organizations should conduct risk assessments to identify the 

threats against their WLANs and determine the effectiveness of existing security controls in counteracting 

the threats; they then should perform risk mitigation to decide what additional measures (if any) should be 

implemented, as discussed in [SP800-37]. Performing risk assessments and mitigation helps organizations 

decide how their WLANs should be secured. See Section 3.1 for an overview of common WLAN threats.

2.1.2 WLAN Architecture

When planning WLAN security, configuration designers should consider the security not only of the 

WLAN itself, but also how it may affect other networks that are accessible through it, such as internal 

wired networks reachable from the WLAN. An important principle of WLAN security is to separate 

WLANs with different security profiles. For example, there should be separate WLANs for external 

(guest, etc.) and internal use. Devices on an organization’s external WLAN should not be able to connect 

through that WLAN to devices on another of the organization’s WLANs. This helps to protect the 

organization’s other networks and devices from external devices and users. Organizations often set up 

external WLANs primarily to provide Internet access to visitors; such WLANs should be architected so 
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

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that their traffic does not traverse the organization’s internal networks. For external WLANs that do need 

internal network access, WLAN client devices should be allowed access only to the necessary hosts or 

subnets using only the required protocols.

Another architectural issue mentioned in the WLAN reference architecture document and discussed in 

more detail in [GAO-11-43] is dual connected client devices. The term “dual connected” generally refers 

to a device that is connected to both a wired network and a WLAN at the same time. The primary concern 

with dual connected configurations is that an attacker may be able to gain unauthorized wireless access to 

the client device and then use it to attack resources on the wired network. Essentially this is allowing an 

attacker to exploit a lower-security network in order to gain access to a higher-security network. One 

possible scenario is an attacker tunneling traffic from the higher-security network to the lower-security 

network through the client device instead of following the intended network architecture, and thus 

avoiding network-based security controls intended for the higher-security network. Dual connected 

configurations also generally violate the principle of disabling unneeded network services to reduce attack 

surface; if the device is already connected to a wired network access, WLAN access is usually redundant.

Organizations should not only consider simultaneous wired network and WLAN use, but other forms of 

dual connectedness involving their WLAN client devices. With the increasing variety and popularity of 

wireless networking technologies, it is common today for devices to be connected to multiple wireless 

networks simultaneously. For example, most smartphones can use cell phone networks, WLANs, and 

Bluetooth networks simultaneously, while they are also connected to wired laptops/desktops (and 

possibly their wired networks) through a cabled connection (e.g., USB). It is also increasingly common 

for laptops to have multiple wireless interfaces, such as both WLAN and WiMAX interfaces, or to be 

configured to accept removable media-based WLAN interfaces. A single laptop with multiple WLAN 

interfaces could have simultaneous connections to multiple WLANs, such as an organization WLAN and 

an external WLAN. 

Organizations should assess the risk of the possible combinations of network technologies for their 

WLAN client devices and determine how those risks should be mitigated. This does not mean that all 

forms of dual connectedness should automatically be prohibited; examples of use cases that are often 

permitted include a smartphone attaching to both a WLAN and a Bluetooth-networked earbud 

simultaneously, and a laptop attaching to both a WLAN and a Bluetooth-networked keyboard and mouse 

simultaneously. However, the security of such use cases is largely dependent on the security of all of the 

networks. If one or more of the networks cannot have its risk mitigated to an acceptable level, then dual 

connections involving that network may pose too much risk to the organization and may need to be 

prohibited. The primary risk-related issue to be considered is the likelihood of an attacker accessing and 

manipulating legitimate communications and the possible and typical impact of such an attack.

Organizations should have policies that clearly state which forms of dual connections are permitted or 

prohibited for their WLAN client devices under various circumstances. Organizations should enforce 

these policies through the appropriate security controls, including the actions listed below:

 For all their WLAN client devices: disable all network interfaces that are not authorized for any 

use (including during contingency plans for business continuity, disaster recovery, etc.), and 

configure the device so that the user cannot enable them or otherwise circumvent the restrictions.

 For all their WLAN client devices not authorized for dual connections:

o Implement the appropriate technical security controls (discussed below the bullets) so that all 

dual connected configurations are prohibited. 
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o If feasible, configure the devices to disable bridging (passing traffic between the networks). 

This is precautionary in case an unauthorized dual connection occurs.

 For all their WLAN client devices authorized for dual connections:

o Implement the appropriate technical security controls (discussed below the bullets) so that the 

authorized dual connected configurations are only active when necessary and that all other 

dual connected configurations are prohibited. 

o Configure the devices to disable bridging (passing traffic between the networks) unless 

absolutely necessary.

There are several options for implementing WLAN client device dual connection policies, such as 

prohibiting unauthorized configurations from being used and disabling authorized dual connections when 

not needed. To enforce such restrictions, organizations should rely on automated technical controls 

whenever feasible. Non-technical controls are usually not effective enough; for example, it is generally 

not feasible to rely on users to remember to always promptly disable WLAN interfaces every time they 

are no longer needed. Each organization should evaluate the possible controls for implementing dual 

connection policies on their WLAN client devices and then choose the combinations of controls that are 

most appropriate, providing sufficient security while also permitting necessary functionality.

Some of the possible controls are preventative (implementing and enforcing a configuration), while others 

are detective (monitoring a configuration, monitoring network activity, alerting when a problem is 

detected, etc.) Preventative controls are generally preferable to detective controls, but it is even stronger 

to use both preventative and detective controls together. See Section 3 for more information on 

monitoring (detective) controls.

Preventative controls may need to enforce granular policies. For example, an organization might permit 

only wired network usage while at their headquarters, but might permit wired or wireless access to 

external networks. Preventative controls may also need to provide flexibility; organizations often need to 

allow users to attach the organization’s mobile client devices to new external WLANs, and thus the users 

need some ability to manage their devices’ WLAN configuration. 

Examples of preventative controls include the following:

 Configure the device’s BIOS so that WLAN connections are automatically terminated when a 

wired connection is detected. The BIOS setting for this is often called LAN/WLAN switching.

 Enable specialized software-based controls that permit either WLAN or wired network access, 

but not both simultaneously. These controls could be built into the operating system (OS), 

provided as part of the WLAN driver or management software, provided by the device 

manufacturer (e.g., laptop vendor), or acquired from third parties. These controls typically favor 

wired connections over WLAN because of their relative reliability, performance, and security.

 Configure host-based network security tools (e.g., host-based firewalls, host-based intrusion 

detection and prevention systems) to prevent multiple network interfaces from being used at one 

time.

 Specify and enforce authorized network profiles and/or unauthorized profiles through OS/domain 

controls, third party policy-based software, etc.
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There are other technical WLAN security controls, such as configuring clients so that they will not 

automatically connect to any WLANs they detect, that are beneficial for WLAN security but not robust 

enough to prevent dual connections. 

2.2 Configuration Implementation, Evaluation, and Maintenance

After designing a WLAN security configuration, an organization should determine how the configuration 

will be implemented, evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation, deploy the implementation to the 

appropriate devices, and maintain the configuration and its implementation throughout the devices’ 

lifecycles. Organizations should ensure that their WLAN client devices and APs have configurations at all 

times that are compliant with the organization’s WLAN policies.

Organizations should standardize, automate, and centralize as much of their WLAN security 

configuration implementation and maintenance as practical, particularly for their WLAN client devices 

and access points. This allows organizations to implement consistent WLAN security throughout the 

enterprise, to detect and correct unauthorized changes to configurations, and to react quickly when newly 

identified vulnerabilities or recent incidents indicate a need to change the WLAN’s security configuration.

Organizations can often leverage existing configuration management solutions for their WLAN security 

configuration management. Many organizations already have general configuration management 

solutions in place that can handle a wide variety of software; such solutions may be built into operating 

systems or provided through third-party software installed on their client devices and other WLAN 

components. Also, WLAN client management software often has configuration management capabilities; 

this software may already be installed on the WLAN devices. If the existing configuration management 

solutions cannot collectively provide the necessary WLAN configuration implementation and 

maintenance capabilities, then the organization should evaluate alternatives and implement a suitable 

configuration management solution that provides the missing capabilities.

Organizations should evaluate all standardized WLAN security configuration implementations carefully 

before deploying them throughout production environments. Even if the organization is confident that the 

configuration is sound, it should still be evaluated carefully to ensure that its implementation meets the 

organization’s particular security and operational requirements. Every operating environment has unique 

characteristics that should be taken into account. It is particularly important to evaluate the strength of the 

configuration and its potential impacts on performance and functionality (for example, a security setting 

that is incompatible with use of a particular application).
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3. WLAN Security Monitoring

This section discusses two types of security monitoring: assessments [SP800-115, SP800-53A] and 

continuous monitoring. Security assessment is “the process of determining how effectively an entity 

being assessed meets specific security objectives.” Security assessments are typically performed 

periodically, such as annually or quarterly, and are often called periodic assessments. Continuous 

monitoring is defined in [SP800-137] as “maintaining ongoing awareness of information security, 

vulnerabilities, and threats to support organizational risk management decisions. The objective is to 

conduct ongoing monitoring of the security of an organization’s networks, information, and systems, and 

respond by accepting, avoiding/rejecting, transferring/sharing, or mitigating risk as situations change.” 

Think of continuous monitoring as doing assessments in near real-time, so that the organization can react 

to problems in minutes instead of months or years.

For WLAN security, the same tools are often useful for both periodic assessments and continuous 

monitoring. These forms of monitoring are used to ensure that each WLAN component’s security 

configuration meets the organization’s requirements (and to report all deviations from these 

requirements), as well as to monitor WLAN activity to identify attacks, improperly secured 

communications, and other WLAN security issues. This section provides recommendations for WLAN 

security monitoring (both periodic assessments and continuous monitoring).

As explained in Section 1.2, the recommendations presented in this section supplement those provided for 

specific WLAN technologies by other NIST publications [SP800-48, SP800-97], as well as NIST 

publications on general security assessment [SP800-115, SP800-53A] and continuous monitoring [SP800-

137].

3.1 WLAN Security Monitoring Basics

Security monitoring is important for all systems and networks, but it is generally even more important for 

WLANs. WLANs and wired networks have the same security objectives and face the same general types 

of threats, but WLAN security is typically harder to achieve for several reasons. 

First, WLANs tend to be easier for attackers to access than wired networks. The most significant 

difference between protecting WLANs and wired networks is the relative ease of intercepting wireless 

network transmissions and inserting new or altered transmissions from what is presumed to be the 

authentic source. To monitor traffic on a wired network, an attacker would have to gain physical access to 

the network or remotely compromise systems on the network; for a WLAN, an attacker simply needs to 

be within range of the wireless transmissions. (Some attackers use highly sensitive directional antennas, 

which can greatly extend the effective range of attack beyond the standard WLAN range.)

Second, WLANs are often poorly secured. For example, many WLANs are configured so that they do not 

require strong authentication; this makes it much easier, sometimes trivial, for attackers within range of 

the WLAN to successfully gain access to it. These configurations are often used because they are more 

convenient for users and administrators, but they often put the transmitted information and WLAN 

devices at serious risk of compromise.

Third, WLANs are usually connected to an organization’s wired networks. This means that the WLANs 

and WLAN devices are not only subject to WLAN-specific attacks, but also nearly all the attacks that 

wired networks and devices on those networks face.

To support WLAN security, organizations should perform both attack monitoring and vulnerability 

monitoring. Sections 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 provide more information on these, respectively.
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

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3.1.1 Attack Monitoring

Organizations should continuously monitor their WLANs for both WLAN-specific and general (wired 

network) attacks. The latter involves the same security controls as would be used for any networkconnected system in an organization; see [SP800-53] for additional information on general system 

security and [SP800-94] for general information on attack detection technologies. Further discussion of 

general (non-wireless) attack monitoring is out of the scope of this publication.

WLAN-specific attacks can typically be divided into two types: passive and active. These attack classes, 

which are significant for monitoring purposes, are described below.

 Passive attack: an attack in which an unauthorized party only monitors WLAN communications; 

the attacker does not generate, alter, or disrupt WLAN communications. There are two types of 

passive attacks: 

o Eavesdropping. The attacker monitors WLAN data transmissions for message content.

o Traffic analysis (also known as traffic flow analysis). The attacker gains intelligence by 

monitoring the transmissions for patterns of communication. A considerable amount of 

information is contained in the flow of messages between communicating parties.

 Active attack: an attack in which an unauthorized party generates, alters, or disrupts WLAN 

communications. Active attacks may take the form of one of the following types:

o Masquerading. The attacker impersonates an authorized user to gain access to certain 

unauthorized privileges.

o Replay. The attacker monitors transmissions (passive attack) and retransmits messages 

posing as the legitimate user.

o Message modification. The attacker alters a legitimate message by deleting, adding to, 

changing, or reordering the message.

o Denial of service (DoS). A DoS can occur inadvertently, such as other electronic devices 

causing interference, or it can occur intentionally, such as an attacker sending large numbers 

of messages at a high rate to flood the WLAN.

o Misappropriation. The attacker steals or makes other unauthorized use of WLAN services.

A form of active attack that is particularly noteworthy is the deployment of rogue WLAN devices. For 

example, an attacker deploys an AP that has been configured to appear as part of an organization’s 

WLAN infrastructure. This can provide a backdoor into the wired network, bypassing perimeter security 

mechanisms, such as firewalls. In addition, if client devices inadvertently connect to the rogue AP, the 

attacker can view and manipulate the client devices’ communications (e.g., man-in-the-middle attacks), as 

well as potentially gaining access to the client devices themselves.

Monitoring WLAN-specific attacks is focused on active attacks. Because passive attacks strictly involve 

intercepting radio transmissions and do not generate their own transmissions, there is nothing for an 

organization to monitor electronically. However, all forms of active attack mentioned above can be 

detected through monitoring. Section 3.2 discusses tools that can monitor for active attacks.
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

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3.1.2 Vulnerability Monitoring

Organizations should do largely the same vulnerability monitoring for WLAN components that they do 

for any other software: identifying patches and applying them, and verifying security configuration 

settings and adjusting them as needed (see Section 2). These actions should be performed at least as often 

for WLAN components as they are for the organization’s equivalent wired systems. Further discussion of 

these general vulnerability monitoring techniques is outside the scope of this publication.

In addition to the general vulnerability monitoring, WLAN-specific vulnerability monitoring involves 

analyzing WLAN communications and identifying policy violations, such as communications using the 

wrong protocols, encryption key lengths, etc. This is effective at identifying misconfigured WLAN 

devices as well as devices that are acting differently than their configuration indicates. It is especially 

helpful when not all of the WLAN devices are under the organization’s control, such as visitor laptops, 

and when unauthorized WLAN devices are a concern (e.g., an employee attaching a personal mobile 

device to an organization WLAN without authorization). This form of vulnerability monitoring is often 

provided by the same tools that are effective at attack monitoring, as explained in Section 3.2.

3.2 Monitoring Tools

One of the primary tools for WLAN security monitoring is a wireless intrusion detection and prevention 

system (WIDPS). A WIDPS has sensors placed at designated locations within an organization’s facilities; 

these sensors monitor WLAN bands and channels to sample traffic, allowing them to identify WLAN 

attacks and some WLAN vulnerabilities. WIDPS sensors are available in several forms:

 Dedicated. A dedicated sensor performs WIDPS functions but does not pass network traffic from 

source to destination. Dedicated sensors are often completely passive, simply sniffing WLAN

traffic. Some dedicated sensors analyze the traffic they monitor, while other sensors forward the 

traffic to a management server for analysis. The sensor is typically connected to a wired network. 

Dedicated sensors are usually designed for one of two deployment types:

o Fixed—the sensor is deployed to a particular location. Fixed sensors usually depend on the 

organization’s infrastructure for power, wired network access, and other resources.

o Mobile—the sensor is designed to be portable so it can be used from multiple locations or 

while in motion. For example, a security administrator could use a mobile sensor while 

walking through an organization’s buildings to find rogue APs.

 Bundled. Many APs and wireless switches offer some WIDPS capabilities as a secondary 

function.

In addition to these hardware-based forms, there are also host-based WIDPS sensor software products that 

can be installed on WLAN client devices. The sensor software detects WLAN attacks within range of the 

client device, as well as WLAN vulnerabilities of the client device, and reports this information to 

WIDPS management servers. The sensor software may also be able to enforce WLAN security policies. 

See [SP800-94] for more information on all forms of WIDPS.

Another primary tool for WLAN security monitoring is a WLAN scanner. A passive WLAN scanning 

tool captures WLAN traffic being transmitted within the range of the tool’s antenna. Most passive tools 

record the key attributes of discovered WLAN devices. This information can be used to identify WLAN 

vulnerabilities and to detect potential rogue devices. WLAN scanning tools used to conduct completely 

passive scans transmit no data, nor do the tools in any way affect the operation of deployed WLAN 
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

11

devices. By not transmitting data, a passive scanning tool remains undetected by malicious users and 

other devices. This reduces the likelihood of individuals avoiding detection by disconnecting or disabling 

unauthorized WLAN devices.

There are also active WLAN scanning tools. Building on the information collected during passive scans, 

active scanning attempts to attach to discovered WLAN devices and conduct penetration or vulnerabilityrelated testing. Organizations should be cautious in conducting active scans to make sure they do not 

inadvertently scan devices owned or operated by other organizations or individuals within range. It is 

important to evaluate the physical location of devices before actively scanning them. Generally, 

organizations should focus on identifying and locating potential rogue devices rather than performing 

active scans of such devices. 

The types of tools mentioned in this section are examples of tools that are often effective at WLAN 

security monitoring. This is not intended to imply that no other types of tools may also be useful at 

WLAN security monitoring. What is important is having the necessary monitoring capabilities, not the 

labels applied to the tool or tools providing those capabilities. 

3.3 Continuous Monitoring Recommendations

Organizations with WLANs should implement continuous monitoring solutions for their WLANs that 

provide all of the following detection capabilities:

 Unauthorized WLAN devices, including rogue APs and unauthorized client devices

 WLAN devices that are misconfigured or using weak WLAN protocols and protocol 

implementations

 Unusual WLAN usage patterns, such as extremely high numbers of client devices using a 

particular AP, abnormally high volumes of WLAN traffic involving a particular client device, or 

many failed attempts to join the WLAN in a short period of time

 The use of active WLAN scanners (e.g., war driving tools) that generate WLAN traffic. The use 

of passive sensors cannot be detected through monitoring controls.

 DoS attacks and conditions (e.g., network interference). Many denial of service attacks are 

detected by counting events during periods of time and alerting when threshold values are 

exceeded. For example, a large number of events involving the termination of WLAN sessions 

can indicate a DoS attack.

 Impersonation and man-in-the-middle attacks. For example, some WIDPS sensors can detect 

when a device is attempting to spoof the identity of another device.

Organizations with WLANs should also have the capability to identify the physical location of a detected 

WLAN threat by using triangulation—estimating the threat’s approximate distance from multiple sensors

by the strength of the threat’s signal received by each sensor, then calculating the physical location at 

which the threat would be the estimated distance from each sensor. This allows an organization to send 

appropriate personnel, such as physical security staff, to the location to address the threat.
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

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3.4 Periodic Assessment Recommendations

Organizations with WLANs should conduct regular periodic technical WLAN security assessments. 

These assessments should be performed at least annually to evaluate the overall security of the WLAN. In 

addition, organizations should perform periodic assessments at least quarterly unless continuous 

monitoring of WLAN security is already collecting all of the information about WLAN attacks and 

vulnerabilities needed for assessment purposes. For example, an organization that does not have 

comprehensive WIDPS coverage of its facilities should use mobile WIDPS sensors, WLAN scanners, or 

other tools with similar capabilities to search for rogue WLANs in areas outside the WIDPS’s range.

The following are additional factors that organizations should consider when planning the frequency and 

breadth of periodic assessments: 

 The location of the facility being scanned, because the physical proximity of a building to a 

public area (e.g., streets and public common areas) or its location in a busy metropolitan area may 

increase the risk of WLAN threats 

 The security level of the data to be transmitted on the WLAN

 How often WLAN client devices connect to and disconnect from the environment, and the typical 

traffic levels for these devices (e.g., occasional activity or fairly constant activity)—this is 

because only active WLAN client devices are discoverable during a WLAN scan

 Physical changes to the facilities, such as construction projects that could affect the strength and 

propagation of WLAN signals
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

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Appendix A—Supporting NIST SP 800-53 Security Controls and Publications

The major controls in the NIST Special Publication 800-53, Recommended Security Controls for Federal 

Information Systems and Organizations control catalog that affect an organization’s wireless local area 

network (WLAN) security are:

AC-3, Access Enforcement

Related controls: AC-2, AC-4, AC-5, AC-6, AC-16, AC-17, AC-18, AC-19, AC-20, AC-21, AC-22, 

AU-9, CM-5, CM-6, MA-3, MA-4, MA-5, SA-7, SC-13, SI-9

AC-4, Information Flow Enforcement

Related controls: AC-17, AC-19, AC-21, CM-7, SA-8, SC-2, SC-5, SC-7, SC-18

AC-18, Wireless Access

Related controls: AC-3, IA-2, IA-3, IA-8

References: NIST Special Publications 800-48, 800-94, 800-97

AC-19, Access Control for Mobile Devices

Related controls: MP-4, MP-5

References: NIST Special Publications 800-114, 800-124

AC-20, Use of External Information Systems

Related controls: AC-3, AC-17, PL-4

References: FIPS Publication 199

CA-2, Security Assessments

Related controls: CA-6, CA-7, PM-9, SA-11

References: FIPS Publication 199; NIST Special Publications 800-37, 800-53A, 800-115

CA-7, Continuous Monitoring

Related controls: CA-2, CA-5, CA-6, CM-3, CM-4

References: NIST Special Publications 800-37, 800-53A; US-CERT Technical Cyber Security Alerts; 

DOD Information Assurance Vulnerability Alerts

CM-6, Configuration Settings

Related controls: CM-2, CM-3, SI-4

References: OMB Memoranda 07-11, 07-18, 08-22; NIST Special Publications 800-70, 800-128; Web: 

nvd.nist.gov; www.nsa.gov)

AU-2, Auditable Events

Related control: AU-3

References: NIST Special Publication 800-92

IA-2, Identification and Authentication (Organizational Users)

Related controls: AC-14, AC-17, AC-18, IA-4, IA-5

References: HSPD 12; OMB Memorandum 04-04; FIPS Publication 201; NIST Special Publications 
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

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800-63, 800-73, 800-76, 800-78

IA-3, Device Identification and Authentication

Related controls: AC-17, AC-18

IA-5, Authenticator Management

Related controls: AC-2, IA-2, PL-4, PS-6

References: OMB Memorandum 04-04; FIPS Publication 201; NIST Special Publications 800-73, 800-

63, 800-76, 800-78

IA-8, Identification and Authentication (Non-Organizational Users)

Related controls: AC-14, AC-17, AC-18, MA-4

References: OMB Memorandum 04-04; Web: www.cio.gov/eauthentication; NIST Special Publication 

800-63

PE-18, Location of Information System Components

RA-3, Risk Assessment

Reference: NIST Special Publication 800-30

RA-5, Vulnerability Scanning

Related controls: CA-2, CM-6, RA-3, SI-2

References: NIST Special Publications 800-40, 800-70, 800-115; Web: cwe.mitre.org; nvd.nist.gov

SC-7, Boundary Protection

Related controls: AC-4, IR-4, SC-5

References: FIPS Publication 199; NIST Special Publications 800-41, 800-77

SC-8, Transmission Integrity

Related controls: AC-17, PE-4

References: FIPS Publications 140-2, 197; NIST Special Publications 800-52, 800-77, 800-81, 800-113; 

NSTISSI No. 7003

SC-9, Transmission Confidentiality

Related controls: AC-17, PE-4

References: FIPS Publications 140-2, 197; NIST Special Publications 800-52, 800-77, 800-113; CNSS 

Policy 15; NSTISSI No. 7003

SI-2, Flaw Remediation

Related controls: CA-2, CA-7, CM-3, MA-2, IR-4, RA-5, SA-11, SI-11

References: NIST Special Publication 800-40

SI-4, Information System Monitoring

Related controls: AC-4, AC-8, AC-17, AU-2, AU-6, SI-3, SI-7

References: NIST Special Publications 800-61, 800-83, 800-92, 800-94
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

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Information on these controls and guidelines on possible implementations can be found in the following 

publications:

 SP 800-30, Risk Management Guide for Information Technology Systems

 Draft SP 800-30 Revision 1, Guide for Conducting Risk Assessments

 SP 800-37, Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information 

Systems: A Security Life Cycle Approach

 SP 800-40 Version 2.0, Creating a Patch and Vulnerability Management Program

 SP 800-41 Rev. 1, Guidelines on Firewalls and Firewall Policy

 SP 800-48 Rev. 1, Guide to Securing Legacy IEEE 802.11 Wireless Networks

 SP 800-52, Guidelines for the Selection and Use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) 

Implementations

 SP 800-53 Rev. 3, Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems and 

Organizations 

 SP 800-53A Rev. 1, Guide for Assessing the Security Controls in Federal Information Systems 

and Organizations

 SP 800-61 Rev. 1, Computer Security Incident Handling Guide

 SP 800-63 Rev. 1: E-Authentication Guideline

 SP 800-70 Rev. 2, National Checklist Program for IT Products--Guidelines for Checklist Users 

and Developers

 SP 800-73-3, Interfaces for Personal Identity Verification

 Draft SP 800-76-2, Biometric Data Specification for Personal Identity Verification

 SP 800-77, Guide to IPsec VPNs

 SP 800-78-3, Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for Personal Identification Verification 

(PIV)

 SP 800-81 Rev. 1, Secure Domain Name System (DNS) Deployment Guide

 SP 800-83, Guide to Malware Incident Prevention and Handling

 SP 800-92, Guide to Computer Security Log Management

 SP 800-94, Guide to Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)

 SP 800-97, Establishing Wireless Robust Security Networks: A Guide to IEEE 802.11i

 SP 800-113, Guide to SSL VPNs

 SP 800-114, User's Guide to Securing External Devices for Telework and Remote Access

 SP 800-115, Technical Guide to Information Security Testing and Assessment

 SP 800-124, Guidelines on Cell Phone and PDA Security

 SP 800-128, Guide for Security-Focused Configuration Management of Information Systems
GUIDELINES FOR SECURING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS)

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Appendix B—Acronyms and Abbreviations

Selected acronyms and abbreviations used in the guide are defined below.

AP Access Point

BIOS Basic Input/Output System

DHS Department of Homeland Security

DISA Defense Information Systems Agency

DoS Denial of Service

DS Distribution System

FISMA Federal Information Security Management Act

GAO Government Accountability Office

IDPS Intrusion Detection and Prevention System

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IT Information Technology

ITL Information Technology Laboratory

LAN Local Area Network

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

OMB Office of Management and Budget

OS Operating System

SP Special Publication

STIG Security Technical Implementation Guide

TIC Trusted Internet Connection

USB Universal Serial Bus

WIDPS Wireless Intrusion Detection and Prevention System

WiMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access

WLAN Wireless Local Area Network
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Appendix C—References

The list below provides references for the publication.

[GAO-11-43] GAO-11-43, Federal Agencies Have Taken Steps to Secure Wireless Networks, but 

Further Actions Can Mitigate Risk, November 2010. 

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d1143.pdf

[NCP] National Checklist Program Repository. http://checklists.nist.gov/

[SP800-37] NIST Special Publication 800-37 Revision 1, Guide for Applying the Risk Management 

Framework to Federal Information Systems: A Security Life Cycle Approach, February 

2010. http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html#800-37

[SP800-48] NIST Special Publication 800-48 Revision 1, Guide to Securing Legacy IEEE 802.11 

Wireless Networks, July 2008. http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html#800-48

[SP800-53] NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 3, Recommended Security Controls for 

Federal Information Systems and Organizations, August 2009. 

http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html#800-53

[SP800-53A] NIST Special Publication 800-53A, Guide for Assessing the Security Controls in Federal 

Information Systems and Organizations: Building Effective Security Assessment Plans, 

June 2010. http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html#800-53a

[SP800-70] NIST Special Publication 800-70 Revision 2, National Checklist Program for IT 

Products—Guidelines for Checklist Users and Developers, February 2011. 

http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html#800-70

[SP800-94] NIST Special Publication 800-94, Guide to Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems 

(IDPS), February 2007. http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html#800-94

[SP800-97] NIST Special Publication 800-97, Establishing Robust Security Networks: A Guide to 

IEEE 802.11i, February 2007. http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html#800-97

[SP800-115] NIST Special Publication 800-115, Technical Guide to Information Security Testing and 

Assessment, September 2008. http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html#800-115

[SP800-137] NIST Special Publication 800-137, Information Security Continuous Monitoring for 

Federal Information Systems and Organizations, September 2011. 

http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html#800-137