Systems and methods for securing wireless networks
View Patent ↗The disclosed computer-implemented method for securing wireless networks may include (1) receiving, at a physical access point, a request to improve the security of a wireless network that includes a client device and is serviced by an active virtual access point of the physical access point, (2) configuring a substitute virtual access point to service the wireless network by (a) configuring the substitute virtual access point to identify the wireless network using a substitute SSID and/or (b) secure the wireless network using a substitute passcode, (3) transmitting a notification that includes the substitute SSID and/or the substitute passcode to the client device that instructs the client device to connect to the wireless network via the substitute virtual access point, (4) connecting the client device to the substitute virtual access point, and (5) disabling the active virtual access point. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
1. A computer-implemented method for securing wireless networks, at least a portion of the method being performed by a physical wireless access point comprising at least one physical processor, the method comprising:
receiving, at the physical wireless access point, a request to improve the security of a wireless network that comprises at least one client device and that is serviced by an active virtual wireless access point running on the physical wireless access point, wherein:
the physical wireless access point executes one or more virtual wireless access points that share physical resources of the physical wireless access point; and
the active virtual wireless access point identifies the wireless network using a service set identifier and secures the wireless network using a passcode; and
improving, in response to receiving the request, the security of the wireless network by:
configuring, at the physical wireless access point, a substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network, wherein configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network comprises at least one of:
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to identify the wireless network using a substitute service set identifier; and
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to secure the wireless network using a substitute passcode;
transmitting a notification to the client device that instructs the client device to connect to the wireless network via the substitute virtual wireless access point, wherein the notification comprises at least one of:
the substitute service set identifier;
the substitute passcode;
connecting, at the physical wireless access point, the client device to the wireless network via the substitute virtual wireless access point; and
disabling the active virtual wireless access point.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network comprises:
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to identify the wireless network using the substitute service set identifier instead of the service set identifier;
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to secure the wireless network using the substitute passcode instead of the passcode.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network comprises:
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to identify the wireless network using the substitute service set identifier instead of the service set identifier;
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to secure the wireless network using the passcode.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network comprises:
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to identify the wireless network using the service set identifier;
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to secure the wireless network using the substitute passcode instead of the passcode.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically initiating the request to improve the security of the wireless network in response to detecting abnormal behavior on the wireless network.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically initiating the request to improve the security of the wireless network in response to determining that a predetermined amount of time has passed since the active virtual wireless access point was configured to identify the wireless network using the service set identifier.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically initiating the request to improve the security of the wireless network in response to determining that a predetermined amount of time has passed since the active virtual wireless access point was configured to secure the wireless network using the passcode.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the client device is connected to the wireless network when the notification is transmitted to the client device;
transmitting the notification to the client device comprises transmitting, via the active virtual wireless access point, the notification to the client device.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the active virtual wireless access point is disabled after the client device is connected to the substitute virtual wireless access point.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the notification to the client device comprises transmitting, via the Internet, the notification to the client device.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the active virtual wireless access point is disabled before the client device is connected to the substitute virtual wireless access point.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network comprises configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to not broadcast the substitute service set identifier in an unencrypted state.
13. A system for securing wireless networks, the system comprising:
a receiving module, stored in memory, that receives, at a physical wireless access point, a request to improve the security of a wireless network that comprises at least one client device and that is serviced by an active virtual wireless access point running on the physical wireless access point, wherein:
the physical wireless access point executes one or more virtual wireless access points that share physical resources of the physical wireless access point; and
the active virtual wireless access point identifies the wireless network using a service set identifier and secures the wireless network using a passcode;
a configuring module, stored in memory, that improves, in response to the request, the security of the wireless network by configuring, at the physical wireless access point, a substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network, wherein configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network comprises at least one of:
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to identify the wireless network using a substitute service set identifier; and
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to secure the wireless network using a substitute passcode;
a transmitting module, stored in memory, that transmits a notification to the client device that instructs the client device to connect to the wireless network via the substitute virtual wireless access point, wherein the notification comprises at least one of:
the substitute service set identifier;
the substitute passcode;
a connecting module, stored in memory, that connects, at the physical wireless access point, the client device to the wireless network via the substitute virtual wireless access point;
a disabling module, stored in memory, that disables the active virtual wireless access point; and
at least one hardware processor that executes the receiving module, the configuring module, the transmitting module, the connecting module, and the disabling module.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the configuring module configures the substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network by:
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to identify the wireless network using the substitute service set identifier instead of the service set identifier;
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to secure the wireless network using the substitute passcode instead of the passcode.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the configuring module configures the substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network by:
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to identify the wireless network using the substitute service set identifier instead of the service set identifier;
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to secure the wireless network using the passcode.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the configuring module configures the substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network by:
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to identify the wireless network using the service set identifier;
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to secure the wireless network using the substitute passcode instead of the passcode.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the receiving module receives the request to improve the security of the wireless network by detecting abnormal behavior on the wireless network.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the receiving module receives the request to improve the security of the wireless network by determining that a predetermined amount of time has passed since the active virtual wireless access point was configured to identify the wireless network using the service set identifier.
19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the receiving module receives the request to improve the security of the wireless network by determining that a predetermined amount of time has passed since the active virtual wireless access point was configured to secure the wireless network using the passcode.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one physical processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:
receive, at a physical wireless access point, a request to improve the security of a wireless network that comprises at least one client device and that is serviced by an active virtual wireless access point running on the physical wireless access point, wherein:
the physical wireless access point executes one or more virtual wireless access points that share physical resources of the physical wireless access point; and
the active virtual wireless access point identifies the wireless network using a service set identifier and secures the wireless network using a passcode; and
improve, in response to receiving the request, the security of the wireless network by:
configuring, at the physical wireless access point, a substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network, wherein configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to service the wireless network comprises at least one of:
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to identify the wireless network using a substitute service set identifier; and
configuring the substitute virtual wireless access point to secure the wireless network using a substitute passcode;
transmitting a notification to the client device that instructs the client device to connect to the wireless network via the substitute virtual wireless access point, wherein the notification comprises at least one of:
the substitute service set identifier;
the substitute passcode;
connecting, at the physical wireless access point, the client device to the wireless network via the substitute virtual wireless access point; and
disabling the active virtual wireless access point.