Twin Ghosts: Evil Twin Attacks in Wireless Networks and Defense Mechanisms

With the increasing adoption of wireless network technologies, a variety of attacks targeting these networks have emerged, posing significant threats to user security. One prominent type of attack is the evil twin attack, which involves the creation of fake access points, often referred to as "evil twins." In this type of attack, a malicious actor sets up a fake access point (AP) designed to closely resemble a legitimate one, thereby deceiving users into believing it is trustworthy. By exploiting these fake APs, attackers can capture user credentials and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, potentially leading to financial exploitation or system breaches. Due to the covert nature of evil twin attacks, they can be highly effective without the users' awareness. In this study, explores the risks posed by evil twin attacks and investigates defense strategies to address the security challenges in wireless networks. To achieve this, a scenario involving an evil twin attack is developed and analyzed. In this scenario, an attacker establishes a fake wireless access point in a café or public area near the targeted institution, replicating the institution's network name and security settings to trick users into connecting to the malicious network. This study underscores the potential impacts of such attacks and outlines critical measures that both users and institutions should implement to safeguard against these threats.