Wireless Security

Do you run a wireless network?  A wireless network introduces a whole range of security risks for your computers, your internet and your data.  Instead of the traditional network confines of needing to be connected by cable, you can roam anywhere within range of your wireless access point and this means anyone within range can attemp to access your network.  

How do you protect your wireless network?

You need to ensure that you protect your network with WPA or WPA2 encryption.  This is essentially a password that is required to connect to your network. There is older types of protection which are outdated and vulnerable to hacking, this is commonly known as WEP.  A WEP network can be cracked in under a minute.  If you are using a WEP network it is highly recommended that you change to WPA security as soon as possible.

Your wireless network is also given a name - known as the SSID.  This can be broadcast so you can see your network anywhere within range.  You can disable this feature so that way joe bloe can't even see your network when he cruises past.

Another protection option is known as MAC filtering.  Every network device is built with a unique ID known as a MAC address.  You can set your router to block access to anyone but your known MAC addresses.  This is not a fullproof technique as MAC addresses can be 'spoofed' but it is another tool in your repotoir.

If you feel that your wireless network may not be secure or you would like a security audit, feel free to give us a call on (07) 3137 1934 (or use our free call feature on the left).