Practicing Wireless Safety

You wouldn’t casually disclose private information during a conversation that could be overheard by strangers. Yet that is exactly what happens when you surf the Web over an unsecured wireless connection.

What should you do to practice wireless safety in a public place? The experts advise:

Enable your firewall for wireless protection. Double check to make sure your firewall is configured for wireless. If you didn’t do this when you set up the firewall, then there is a good possibility the computer is not being protected by a firewall during wireless connection to the internet.

Retrieve email over a secure connection. Unless your email program, such as Outlook, has its security encryption features enabled for both incoming and outgoing mail, all the contents of your messages and your username and password are being transmitted in plain text. Enable these security features. Another safe practice is to log onto the Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) Web mail to retrieve your email. ISP pages are typically secure. Look for the “s” after the http to determine if the page is secure. Also look for the small padlock icon on the bottom bar of the browser. Bookmark the ISP’s Web mail page so you don’t have to remember it.

Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection. If you telecommute, you are likely connecting to your company through a VPN, which is a secure - encrypted - connection. Check company procedures to find out if the VPN can be used for personal surfing and email when you are traveling. If the answer is “no” and you have a desktop at home with 24/7 Internet connection, set up your own VPN. This is a relatively easy and inexpensive procedure. A VPN assures that your wireless Internet communications are secure when you are at the coffee shop, conference room, or airport lounge.

 

What should you do to practice wireless safety in your home? The experts advise:

Change the password. When you configure your home wireless router make sure to enter a strong password and a unique username. (See the accompanying article How to Create a Safe Password). Do not leave in place the default passwords and usernames that came with the router.

Turn on the encryption features.  All wireless equipment comes with encryption capabilities. Enable this function when you configure your home wireless system. Encryption scrambles the information, making it hard for anyone outside the home to listen in. Make sure all of the computers on your wireless network share the same encryption settings.

Disable SSID broadcast. Most wireless access points broadcast the network name at a regular interval. This is an unnecessary feature in a home system because you don’t want to advertise over the airwaves that you have a wireless system in your home. When you configure your system, turn off SSID broadcast. At the same time, be sure to change the default SSID name. A unique name makes it difficult for someone outside the home to attach to the network.

Enable MAC address filtering. Every computer in your network will have a physical address. MAC filtering restricts access to the network to only authorized addresses. MAC filtering can be avoided by knowledgeable hackers, so do not make this your only security feature.

Place the wireless router near the center of the home. Physically placing the wireless router near the center of the home will minimize the distance the wireless signal travels outside the walls.

Assign static IP addresses. Most home networks rely on dynamic IP addresses because it is a quick and easy way of setting up the system. Dynamic IP addresses, however, can make it easier for an outsider to attach to the network. Assigning static IP addresses makes attaching to the system more difficult.

If you are unsure how to take any of the steps outlined in this article, do not hesitate to talk with a qualified service technician. Wireless router companies should provide phone support when you are setting up your home network.