System and method for determining location of rogue wireless access point

Abstract

Described are a method and system for determining a location of an unauthorized wireless access point (“AP”) accessing a communication network. The system may include at least three authorized wireless devices and a computing arrangement generating a tracking data record. The tracking record includes a location of each of the at least three authorized wireless devices and strength data corresponding to strengths of signals of the unauthorized AP as measured by each of the at least three authorized wireless devices. The computing arrangement determines the location of the unauthorized AP as a function of the tracking record.

1 . A method for determining a location of an unauthorized wireless access point (“AP”) in a communications network, comprising: 
 generating a tracking data record which includes a location of each of at least three authorized wireless devices and strength data corresponding to a strength of signals of the unauthorized AP as measured by each of the at least three authorized wireless devices; and    determining the location of the unauthorized AP as a function of the tracking data record.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 upon receiving notification of an existence of the unauthorized AP in the communications network, selecting the at least three authorized wireless devices from a plurality of authorized wireless devices to track the signals of the unauthorized AP.    
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the tracking data record further includes time data corresponding to time periods that it takes for the signals to arrive at each of the at least three authorized wireless devices.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the determining step includes the following substep: 
 determining the location of the unauthorized AP as a function of a calibrating record, the calibrating record including (a) at least one of (i) second strength data corresponding to a strength of a calibrating signal as transmitted from a predetermined location within the communications network and received by each of the at least three authorized wireless devices and (ii) second time data corresponding to a time period that it takes for the calibrating signal to arrive at each of the at least three authorized wireless devices from the predetermined location, (b) the predetermined location and (c) the location of each of the at least three authorized wireless devices.    
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least three authorized wireless devices is one of an access point and a wireless mobile device.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the determining step includes the substep of calculating the location of the unauthorized AP as a function of the strength data and the second strength data.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the determining step includes at least one of (i) the substep of triangulating the location of the unauthorized AP using the time data and (ii) the substep of calculating the location of the unauthorized AP as a function of the time data and the second time data.  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 before the determining step, performing a calibration procedure including the following substeps: 
 placing a calibrating device at a plurality of predetermined locations within the communication network,  
 tracking a calibration signal from the calibrating device using each of the at least three authorized wireless devices, and  
 generating a calibration record based on data generated in the tracking substep.  
   
   
   
       9 . A system for determining a location of an unauthorized wireless access point (“AP”) accessing a communications network, comprising: 
 at least three authorized wireless devices; and    a computing arrangement generating a tracking data record which includes a location of each of the at least three authorized wireless devices and strength data corresponding to strengths of signals of the unauthorized AP as measured by each of the at least three authorized wireless devices,    wherein the computing arrangement determines the location of the unauthorized AP as a function of the tracking record.    
   
   
       10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein, upon notification of existence of the unauthorized AP, the computing arrangement selects the at least three authorized wireless devices from a group of authorized wireless devices to track the signals of the unauthorized AP.  
   
   
       11 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the tracking data record further includes time data corresponding to time periods that it takes for the signals to arrive at each of the at least three authorized wireless devices.  
   
   
       12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the computing arrangement further utilizes a calibrating data record to determine the location of the unauthorized AP, the calibrating record including (a) at least one of (i) second strength data corresponding to a strength of a calibrating signal as transmitted from a predetermined location within the communications network and received by each of the at least three wireless devices and (ii) second time data corresponding to a time period that it takes for the calibrating signal to arrive at each of the at least three authorized wireless devices, (b) the predetermined location and (c) the location of each of the at least three authorized wireless devices.  
   
   
       13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the computing arrangement calculates the location of the unauthorized AP as a function of the strength data and the second strength data.  
   
   
       14 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the computing arrangement performs at least one of (i) triangulating the location of the unauthorized AP using the time data and (ii) calculating the location of the unauthorized AP as a function of the time data and the second time data.  
   
   
       15 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein each of the at least three authorized wireless devices is one of an AP and a wireless mobile device.  
   
   
       16 . A computing device for determining a location of an unauthorized wireless access point (“AP”) accessing a communications network, comprising: 
 a communication arrangement communicating with at least three authorized wireless devices in the communications network; and    a processor determining the location of the unauthorized AP as a function of a tracking data record,    wherein the tracking data record includes a location of each of the at least three authorized wireless devices and strength data corresponding to strengths of signals transmitted by the unauthorized AP as measured by each of the at least three authorized wireless devices.    
   
   
       17 . The computing device according to  claim 16 , wherein, upon receiving notification of an existence of the unauthorized AP, the processor selects the at least three authorized wireless devices from a group of authorized wireless devices to track the signals from the unauthorized AP.  
   
   
       18 . The computing device according to  claim 16 , wherein the data record further includes a time data corresponding to time periods that it takes for the signals to arrive at each of the at least three authorized wireless devices.  
   
   
       19 . The computing device according to  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a memory arrangement storing a calibrating data record,    wherein the calibrating record includes (a) at least one of (i) second strength data corresponding to a strength of a calibrating signal as transmitted from a predetermined location within the communications network and received by each of the at least three authorized wireless devices and (ii) second time data corresponding to a time period that it takes for the calibrating signal to arrive at each of the at least three authorized wireless devices,(b) the predetermined location and (c) the location of each of the at least three authorized wireless devices, and    wherein the processor determines the location of the unauthorized AP as a function of the calibration record and the tracking record.    
   
   
       20 . A device, comprising: 
 a communication means for communicating with at least three authorized wireless devices in a communications network; and    a processing means for determining a location of an unauthorized AP in the communications network as a function of a tracking data record,    wherein the tracking data record is generated by the at least three authorized wireless devices during tracking of signals of the unauthorized AP, the tracking data record including a location of each of the at least three authorized wireless devices and strength data corresponding to a strength of the signals transmitted by the unauthorized AP as measured by each of the at least three authorized wireless devices.