IT Security Blog

How Secure is your Wireless Network

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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.

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    Secure Your Wireless Networks with Authentication Codes

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    Today, we see a lot of places that have Internet access. And it is not about plugging up your laptop to cables. They are wireless. With that in mind all you need is a Bluetooth adapter that can detect these wireless networks. Normally you can surf away. But for some networks, there are codes that you have to input since not all air born Internet access is free for some places.

    They would normally have a common username and password for people to use. Owing to the fact that they can make money from it or make it a privilege from patrons who avail of other services, wireless Internet is really more of an add-on. For others however, it is about security as well as routers in place can be susceptible to malicious files such as viruses which can be injected if some network administrators are not careful.

    You really cannot blame such networks from employing such defensive security measures. At the rate that hackers and harmful files can be solicited over the web these days, safeguarding you equipment and files is a definite priority. Internet access through wireless technology is indeed a breakthrough but it also provides a threat for networks that are not careful on who can access them.

    Hence, outside that of trying to control the number of devices accessing a network, it is a security measure to configure wireless networks and limit the ones who are given access. There is no telling what things may occur, and normally they are not favorable.

    Handhelds : Still the Biggest threat to Corporate Security

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    hh3.jpghh3.jpghh2.jpgEmployee’s love them, Network Administrators hate them, the advent of more function packed handheld devices have sparked a re-evaluation of the threat these small devices pose. Traditionally, networks were quite safe for to gain access to it you needed to be hooked up to the network, physically with a LAN cable. Now that the shift to wireless has become the network engineer’s best friend the network has surely been simplified and companies are switching to the new technology. Thy no longer needed wires and all existing computers are either replaced with ones that support Wi-Fi or bought individual dongles that allowed connection within the office. That was still an easy security agenda for they usually had a range of a couple of hundred feet.

    Then came wireless internet hotspots which commercial developers started to put up to get more workers out of the office into their shops allowing them to work while, say having coffee. That’s where the problems began for the more office correspondence left the walls of the office, the more harder was it to secure. VPN’s were implemented that allowed a secure channel within existing networks making it a bit better. But that was still quite vulnerable to attack and security experts needed a better way of securing corporate data where-ever the user might be. Projections by business and security analysts estimate volume to increase to 100 million email transactions to and from outside the office locations that is still causing nightmares as the next step is found in the drive to secure this network without physical bounds.

    [tags]Handheld Computing, Mobile Computing[/tags]

    Wireless woes

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    The wireless revolution has fast taken over the world with more and more people opting for the convenience of not being tied to a specific place due to …. what else wires. This revolution was brought about by the first and primitive beginnings of the garage door openers, cellular phones and many more. The technology has proven to be a very successful one, but like many new technologies they do have problems and detractors who say it is too much a risk to go wireless.

    True to this, many fear of the amount of information that is simply just being transmitted for anyone with the right equipment and know-how to grab and use for personal gains. Yes there are security programs, certificates and other proven authentication systems out on the market that do allow secure and safe computing without wires but they have a long way to go to provide a foolproof way of doing it. Radio waves are invisible yet present all around us and is a form of radiation however minute or insignificant the amount may be. To this effect, many schools have dismantled wireless networks that were hastily put up without extensive health risk studies. This was done for wireless equipment saves schools and other enterprises from having to hardwire data ports anywhere a connection to the school network or internet is needed(copper wires are very expensive and so is the installation costs). Another study by the Health Physics Society and the WHO shows more proof and information regarding the said effects of the technology on the human body.

    So till we get to understand the phenomenon better and try to reduce the risks with improvements better be cautious( Not to totally avoid all wireless technology based products) and use common sense in the use and purchase of such equipment.