Wireless Networks and Security

Introduction

Wireless networks have become an inherent part of our life and we all use wireless networks in some form in our day to day life. Of all the utilities provided by wireless networks, we use wireless networks widely for connecting to the internet. We connect to the internet wirelessly either by router or using mobile data and enjoy the internet on our device from anywhere in the house.

However, maintaining security of our wireless network is vitally important. The wireless network we use is responsible for transferring and sending data like username, password, card details and other sensitive data. If the wireless network we use is not secure then we are at risk and face undesirable consequences.

Example – An attacker could perform following attacks if the wireless network is not secured –

1)      Intercept data being transmitted or received

2)      Gain access to the files and folders onto the system

3)      Use your internet connection and hijack it to use your bandwidth

Now the question is how do we keep our wireless network safe and secure from external attacks.

Following are the few steps one should take to secure their wireless network –

1)    Change default home network name – If one has to secure their wireless network, the first thing they should do is change their default home network name. This is also known as SSID. Default network name reveals router brand being used and helps cybercriminals to search for vulnerabilities in specific brands and try to exploit vulnerabilities present in them. SSID should be unique and should not reveal brand manufacturer name.

2)    Wi-Fi Password – Many times the password set for accessing wireless connection is too simple to predict and guess. Mobile (Read more...)