CWNP CWSP-208 - Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP)

Peer-to-peer blocking (also called client isolation) is useful in open or public WLANs to prevent devices from communicating directly with each other.

B. In public hot-spots, isolating users helps protect against malware spread, snooping, and attacks from nearby devices.

Incorrect:

A. In home networks, peer-to-peer communication is often desired for file sharing.

C. Voice over Wi-Fi may rely on peer communication (e.g., multicast).

D. In university setups using multicast, peer-to-peer restrictions could hinder functionality.

In environments where PSK-based authentication (like WPA2-Personal) is still in use due to legacy device constraints:

C. Regularly changing static passwords helps limit exposure from credential leaks or previous employees retaining access.

Incorrect:

A. MSCHAPv2 is vulnerable to offline attacks; recommending strong passwords is good, but that alone isn’t sufficient.

B. WEP is insecure regardless of password strength due to IV reuse.

D. Certificates are stronger, but not always feasible for legacy systems.

E. EAP-TLS is ideal but not always compatible with all devices; policies should be flexible to device capabilities.

Rogue APs pose a significant risk and should be detected and mitigated automatically.

D. A properly configured Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS) can detect unauthorized APs and prevent client associations to them in real time.

Incorrect:

A. While WPA2-Enterprise adds client-level protection, it does not detect rogue APs.

B. Hiding SSIDs is ineffective—SSIDs are still discoverable in management frames.

C. Manual scans are labor-intensive and impractical for ongoing monitoring.

E. Port security controls wired threats but cannot detect rogue APs using wireless signals.

A strong WLAN security policy should encompass both technical controls and user education.

C. Educating users about secure password creation and acceptable use policies helps reduce risks due to weak authentication and misuse.

E. Social engineering is a common attack vector, and educating users to recognize and report such attempts is critical.

Incorrect:

A. MAC addresses are always transmitted in the clear, even with encryption.

B. Policies should be shared with users to promote compliance and awareness.

D. Passwords for administrative systems should not be disclosed in public documentation or policy documents.

Before conducting a security audit of an 802.11ac WLAN, it is essential to know the current security implementations—such as the use of WPA2-Enterprise, 802.1X, or MAC filtering. This helps the auditor tailor tests to identify gaps, weaknesses, or misconfigurations in the existing system. Understanding the security solutions provides the most immediate insight into potential vulnerabilities.

EAP-TLS requires both server and client-side digital certificates, which adds complexity in client certificate management.

EAP-TTLS uses a server certificate to establish a secure TLS tunnel, after which user credentials (e.g., username/password) are sent inside the encrypted tunnel. No client certificate is needed.

Incorrect:

A. EAP-TLS also encrypts credentials using TLS.

B. EAP-TLS supports client certificates (it’s the core requirement).

C. Both EAP methods require an authentication server.

In a security context, outdated firmware is one of the most critical vulnerabilities. Firmware updates typically patch known security issues, fix bugs, and provide new features or improved encryption support. If the APs have not been updated or checked in over 18 months, they could be running firmware with known exploits or lacking critical security patches, making firmware review a top priority.

Many protocol analyzers require special drivers or place the NIC into monitor/promiscuous mode. When used this way, the original driver stack may be altered or replaced. Afterward, if not correctly reloaded, the adapter may lack full 802.1X support or required encryption features. This is likely the case here — Mary's WLAN adapter is still under the control of or affected by the analyzer’s NIC driver, which doesn’t support PEAP properly.

The RSN (Robust Security Network) Information Element (IE) is used to advertise the security capabilities of a wireless network, particularly for WPA2 and WPA3 networks. This RSN IE is contained in Beacon and Probe Response management frames, not in Probe Request, RTS, CTS, or Data frames. The Beacon frame is sent periodically by an AP to announce its presence and includes critical information about the BSS, including security settings like the RSN IE.

You would use a protocol analyzer to capture Beacon frames and inspect the RSN IE field to confirm if a BSS is properly configured to use RSN protections such as WPA2-Enterprise or WPA2-Personal.