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Having the ability to go wireless in your home or at the office is a great feature to have. Not only is it the freedom to be mobile, but also leaving your house wired free, and not having to route cables through drilled walls, shows another area where wireless is too good to miss out on. The freedom to roam your house from room to room, or even sit under the palm tree of your garden on a hot sunny day, proves there’s no going back from wireless network. However, because of the nature of the technology, wireless has a number of security issues we must be aware of And you will learn how to secure wireless network.

A neighbour, hacker or someone just by your home can easily detect your wireless network signals and attempt to connect to your wireless access point. This is because wireless network systems uses radio frequency and data travels through the air, though they do not need physical access to your router. This is where the security concern comes from.

So let’s get to the point. How bad could it be not secure wireless network?

The common stressing points we hear everyday regarding wireless security is the ability that an evil doer can easily sniff data, coming and going to your wireless access point. Also they will have the ability to use your router to browse the web just as you do… using your bandwidth.

It doesn’t really sound that bad… Does it?

Well how about if your neighbours or anyone on the street outside your home were using your wireless access point and taking part in illegal downloads, visiting illegal websites and generally using the web for criminal activity. Who do you think would get the blame? When you have the FBI busting through your door, and you’re quick to think your children are not as innocent as they claim to be, it may be a mountain for you to climb out of at this point.

The illegal downloads and criminal activity that was occurring from the next house on, was all under your ID. They were using your access point which from the ISP point of view was coming from your home. This is what happened when you are not securing your wireless network.

To add to this, in a couple of months time when your bank statement arrives through the door showing you spent £3000 on a new TV, as well as purchasing a set of Golf clubs, it may just all be too late by then. A hacker could have easily sat outside your home and sniffed your bank details or any other confidential details you may have used when online, all from the comfort of their car or home.  All they need is a wireless laptop to do this, and sit within a range of your wireless network router, in other words somewhere outside your house!

Now this also goes for businesses with wireless access points as well and not just for home users. In fact it is so much more crucial for businesses because a hacker can break into their network via the access point, hacking into company confidential data!

Therefore secure wireless network today is crucial for all the reasons above. Identity theft today is on the rise, and hackers will go the distance looking for insecure wireless access points. For this reason you should take the time and ensure you have a secure wireless network.

Priyo Wibowo | MCP

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Wireless networks have become very popular in these day’s market with the continuing increase in technology. A major concern with wireless networks is in fact to secure wireless network. Securing wireless networks has become more and more important with the increase in the number of users of wireless networks. It is now simple for the average individual to set up a wireless network system at home or at the office. These network systems may be within the range of many other potential network intruders with the technology to detect and access the systems.

There are several things you can do towards securing wireless networks. It is common however for many to leave out these steps and just start using the network system. The little time it takes to use these security features is time well spent and can be considered to be great preventative measures in protecting your system. The trouble can be encountered if your network system is not secure can lead to much more expensive and time wastage. e.g data leakage, virus, trojan etc.

One of the first steps in securing wireless networks is the changing of the administrative password for the router. This is important as most default passwords are common standards such as password and can be easily broken into. This password protects your router from unauthorized access and can prevent the unauthorized changing of your settings. The next tip for securing your wireless network is not to broadcast the name of your network systems. The majority of wireless network routers do this and this makes life easier for clients as they can locate the network without having to know the name but this is also an easy way for intruders to detect your network. It is therefore advisable to turn off the service set identifier for your system. And you can limited users accessing your network by registering their devices so you can control who is accessing your network systems.

There are normally two encryption types for the wireless network systems. These are WEP and WPA encryptions. The WEP encryption is not as strong as the WPA system and this means that the WPA is the better choice. This system provides protection that is easier to use and that is harder to crack than the WEP system. The WPA system is now found built in to many operating systems and all modems for wireless systems. This is a great step towards securing wireless networks.

Another action towards securing wireless networks is the reduction of the wireless network routers transmitter power. This has the overall effect of a reduction in the power and range of your signal. It is very difficult to adjust the signal precisely so there is no leakage outside of the required range but with trial and error it is possible to determine approximately how far the signal is leaking and to make adjustments accordingly. This greatly minimizes the opportunity for outsiders to intrude on your network. The disabling of remote administration is also another action that can be taken towards the security of the network.

So, when you setup a wireless network routers, keep in mind who gonna access your wireless network, how to secure your wireless network and don’t forget to change the password, setup encryption and registering who can access your wireless network router.

Priyo Wibowo | MCP

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