In the previous article I discussed why securing your WiFi network is really important? Now I m going to discuss about how you can secure your home or office WiFi network in simple easy steps.
Enable Encryption
Encryption scrambles the data in a way that if your signal is intercepted there is reduced risk of someone being able to eavesdrop or monitor your communications. There are several standards of encryption common to most WAPs.
Newer wireless access points include Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2). WPA2 is stronger and the preferred method of encryption.
If WPA2 is not available, it is recommended that you use WPA.
If your network only allows for WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy), an older standard of encryption, it is recommended that you replace your wireless network with one that supports WPA2 or WPA.
Change the Default Password
Change the default password that comes with your WAP. The default passwords used by manufacturers are well known to the hacking community.
Be sure to use a strong password, that is at least eight characters in length and include a mix of upper and lower case letters, as well as special characters. I have posted a special article on passwords here.
Change SSID Name
The Service Set Identifier (SSID) is the name of your wireless network. Default SSIDs are well known as often the name of the manufacturer are easy to guess.
Change the SSID name to something unique and be careful not to use a name that freely discloses information.
For example, avoid using your family name. Avoid descriptive or functional names as well, such as "Payroll" or "Accounting" since this would advertise an attractive target for an attacker.
Turn Off SSID Broadcasting
By turning off SSID Broadcasting, your WAP does not advertise its presence. It is similar to having an unlisted telephone number.
This is a way to reduce the visibility of your network to others within the range of your WAP.
The only way to connect to a WAP with SSID Broadcasting turned off is to know the SSID name and password.
Use MAC Filtering on Your WAP
The MAC (Media Access Control) address is the unique ID assigned to your computer's wireless adapter.
It is referred to as the computer's "physical address." Enabling MAC filtering on your WAP allows you to designate and restrict which computers can connect to your WAP.
If the computer's address is not listed, a wireless connection cannot be made to the WAP.
To look up a MAC address on a Windows computer, select "Start" then "Run" and type "cmd"; then a new window will open; type "ipconfig /all" and press the enter key. A number of attributes will be displayed.
The MAC address is identified as the "Physical Address."
For a MAC Operating System, click on "System Preferences"; select "Network"; select "WiFi"; click on "Advanced"; in the tool bar that appears, click on "Hardware." The MAC address will be displayed on the first line.
Update the Software/Firmware in Your WAP
Contact the manufacturer for directions and guidelines on how to update the software and firmware in your WAP.
If the option is available, enable the auto-update feature on your WAP.
These are some simple steps in which you can secure your home or office WiFi network. Hope you find this article useful. In future articles I will discuss more in detail about securing a WiFi connection.
