Wireless Security Issues Wireless connections are everywhere. They are used in homes, businesses and travel. The reasons for the ubiquity of wireless connections are quite obvious: convenience, mobility and availability, to name a few. Unfortunately, security is often overlooked when connecting wirelessly. There are several types of unauthorized access to a wireless network, and there are also many methods to gain such access. Unauthorized access is not always due to malicious intent. For example, a user might accidentally select the wireless connection of a nearby business or home. This is called accidental association. The connection itself is called a bad association. It is possible that this “misbinding” may be done deliberately to bypass security measures (Gao, 2007). Malicious association occurs when an attacker connects to a wireless network by making their wireless card appear to be a wireless access point (AP). This association can be exploited to gain access to information or to install malicious software. The attacker may also attempt to access a virtual private network (VPN) or bypass other security measures (Gao, 2007). Occasionally, wireless network users may share a wireless connection. When this occurs, a guest computer connects to the network through a computer that has created an ad hoc or peer-to-peer network instead of connecting to the wireless AP. This can pose a security risk because sensitive company data could be obtained and malicious code could be transferred from one computer to another. One type of network security allows only computers with certain Media Access Control addresses (MAC addresses) to access the network. This is called MAC f...half of paper...don't allow yourself to become complacent. Equipment maintenance can easily fill a workday. However, wireless security also requires that users are properly trained, that physical security is a priority, that documentation is well maintained, and that network connection logs are checked daily. Works CitedAvoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks, US-Cert. Retrieved March 9, 2012, from http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST04-014.htmlGao, Jie (2007). Wireless LAN security. Retrieved March 8, 2012, from www.cs.sunysb.edu/~jgao/CSE370-spring10/wlan-security.pdfJohnson, Richard (n.d.). Wireless security vulnerabilities. Retrieved March 9, 2012, from http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/2497/computers_and_the_internet/wireless_security_vulnerabilities.htmlWarchalking, Wikipedia. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_chalking