Wireless Security in Windows 10

Introduction

Wireless internet technology has been with us for some time, with many identifying 2005 as the year when wireless connectivity first came into its own. But wireless, including Wi-Fi, is susceptible to security issues, and Windows 10 offers security solutions for users using wireless. 

This article will address Windows-supported wireless encryption types, connecting to secure wireless networks in Windows 10, MAC filtering in Windows 10 and Bluetooth security in Windows 10. 

Wireless security in general

One thing no one can dispute is the proliferation of wireless technology in today’s world. Whether it be to connect to the internet or an intranet network, nearly everyone is using wireless. 

Despite this fact, though, wireless is not the most secure technology out there. Outdated and unsecured routers are a common problem, especially those still using Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). While Windows 10 cannot bring your wireless hardware up to date, it can help secure your system.

Windows-supported wireless encryption types

A necessary preface for this section: As of the Windows 10 May 2019 update, wireless networks secured with WEP or Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) will no longer be supported, so this article will not cover these encryption types.

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Windows 10 comes stock with WPA2 set as the default wireless encryption method. What is WPA2? For starters, WPA stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access. This security protocol is on its send version, hence the “2.”

While not explicitly mentioned by Microsoft, Windows 10 uses WPA2 (AES). AES stands for Advanced Encryption Standard and is the Wi-Fi authorized strong encryption standard for this security protocol. WPA2 (AES) uses a Pre-Shared Key, or PSK, that is between 8 and 63 characters long. 

Connecting to secure wireless networks in Windows 10

The process of connecting to secure wireless networks is almost (Read more...)