IT Security Blog

  • Home
  • About IT Security Blog
  • IT Security Basics
  • Real-World Issues
  • Network Security
  • News
  • Malware
  • Tips
  • Spyware

How Secure is your Wireless Network

15 October 2010 By Saran

Wireless networks which are normally evident in homes right now does provide a lot of comfort as far as Internet options that we see common these days. The same is likewise present in companies, doing away with the standard cable infrastructure and making it easier to clean up your homes without having to worry about tripping on any cable for that matter.

But while such a privilege is another fruit of technology, duty calls as far as limiting network access. Passwords are still the wise investment for securing your wireless network and at the start it does look like a lot of work and a bit complicated. Limiting access by providing a (Media Access Control) MAC address and disabling the SSID broadcast can help in making sure your wireless network cannot be found or detected.

With various technology means today, practically anyone is trying to look for wireless internet. That is how much Internet is being demanded these days. But this includes both sane and malicious people who may want to give problems.

So for people who want to protect their wireless networks, here are some tips you can consider:

  • Don’t use defaults. It is almost always a good idea to change default usernames and passwords and your wireless router is no exception. One of the first things you should do when setting up your wireless network is to change the default administrator username and password.

    Additionally, most routers have a default name, or SSID, for your wireless network (i.e. belkin54g). It’s a good idea to change this for several reasons. First, if you don’t change it, it will serve as a hint to intruders that you probably left the defaults in place everywhere. Second, once an intruder knows what model router you’re using, it’s not difficult to find the default username/password and to look for known exploits.

  • Use encryption. Every good router supports encryption and if you’re not using it, your network’s security is likely to be compromised. If you have newer equipment, use WPA or WPA2 encryption. WEP encryption is less secure.
  • Use MAC address filtering. Every network card, whether it’s wireless or wired, has a unique Media Access Control address (MAC address). A good wireless router will allow you to specify that only certain MAC addresses be allowed to access the wireless network. This can help prevent unauthorized computers from accessing your network.

    Be sure to read your router’s documentation to find out how to set up MAC address filtering. To find out how to determine the MAC address of your network cards, click here.

  • Use your firewall. Most good routers have some sort of firewall built in and it should be used in addition to a good software firewall that is installed on the devices accessing your wireless network.
  • Disable SSID broadcast. By default, most routers “broadcast” their existence to the world. This makes it easier for devices to detect their presence and connect automatically. But this broadcast also gives intruders a target. By making your network “invisible” and setting up devices that need to access it to connect manually when in range, you can make your network less of a target to less-savvy intruders.
  • Source

    Filed Under: Network Security, News, Wireless Security Tagged With: firewall, home, mac, networks, ssid, Wireless

    Windows, Mac OSX, Linux — which is more secure?

    30 July 2006 By Saran

    all three logos

    There have been many flame wars, there have been different studies made regarding the security of each operating system mentioned in the title. The studies are sometimes said to be biased because it depends on what organization or company has funded the studies. At the end of the day, however, we must realize that no matter what operating system we use on our computers, we should be responsible enough to download security patches and the like.

    Sometimes articles and threads on forums and blogs end up in fanaticism. Some of the points raised when it comes to vulnerability and operating systems would be:

    The popularity of the operating system
    Take for example Windows. It is probably the most popular operating system and some say that that is one of the main reasons why it is most attacked by hackers and creators of malware. They say that there is no point in attacking an operating system that is not used by many. The logic, they say, is that if you are going to do something, make sure it will be something big. (This is why there are people who seem to insist on getting a Mac — more stable and secure that way, as they say.)

    Linux, BSD are operating systems that you can’t even run right away/properly/(insert phrase here)…
    It sounds so petty, doesn’t it? But there are those who argue with Linux and BSD users that the difficulty with their operating system is that it is not easy to run it. Would an average computer users be able to use it and run it without much fiddling around? Truth be told, it looks like it is possible. But that depends on which Linux distribution you would run. In any case, the argument is more along the lines of “If you can’t even have the OS running properly, who would bother attacking it?”

    Everyone must learn how to set up security measures. Be it setting up a firewall, being careful about which sites to check out, downloading patches — each of us will have different needs and we will have different experiences.

    [tags]security, windows,linux,mac[/tags]

    Filed Under: General, IT Security Basics, Operating Systems Tagged With: General, IT Security Basics, linux, mac, Operating Systems, security, windows

    Categories

    • Backups
    • Cryptography
    • E-mail
    • Firefox
    • General
    • Google Chrome
    • IM
    • Instant Messaging
    • IT Security Basics
    • Malware
    • Network Security
    • News
    • Operating Systems
    • Physical Security
    • Privacy & Anonymity
    • Programming
    • Real-World Issues
    • Review
    • Security Policies
    • Spyware
    • Storage
    • Tips
    • Web browsers
    • Wireless Security