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Wireless Security 101
Topics: Technology, sgherzi, bear valley, computers, security, data, information, wireless, router, internet, routers, Tehachapi, matthew sgherzi, broadband, sbc, Privacy, firewall, intrusion, password, article, blog, bakersfield, California, Kern County
Posted by MSgherzi Tue Jul 31, 2007 15:23:16 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments You have an office or home where you might possibly have 1, 2 or more computers. You have broadband, and now you need a wireless router to sync everything together. You are sharing personal and sensitive information through file sharing, printers, and fax machines. How can you secure your data? How can you know for sure that your information will be secure even when you log onto Web sites and enter personal information?

The answer is simple, you can't. You will never know for sure 100% that nobody is gathering or stealing your sensitive data, but there are measures that you can take to drastically prevent this type of theft from ever happening:

1. Enable WPA2!! NEVER use WEP under any circumstances. Its algorithms are extremely weak and can be hacked within minutes. WPA has a flaw if you are using short, weak passwords. Your password should always be 72 characters long of mumbo-jumbo (ex. h*kP,3@c).

2. Shut down your SSID broadcasting. This will hide your network to those who are looking for it, it will show nothing. This can be bypassed rather easily. However, the more fences one must hop the better.

3. Enable MAC filtering. This will only allow certain computers that have a specific MAC address to connect. This is easily the weakest security of them all, because all an individual needs to do is spoof his/her MAC address. But again, enable it anyway.

4. Invest in a small, affordable and easy-to-use VPN (Virtual Private Network). This will route your traffic elsewhere and will keep prying eyes off your data with 256-bit AES encryption (the strongest available).

5. Miscellaneous - Switch to a different channel if you suspect that someone is breaking in. Also enable your Firewall, disable remote management, and I would not recommend using DMZ (which opens up all ports for a specific IP address).

6. Finally, set a password for your router/VPN/modem. Simple but frustrating to those trying to break through. Again, very easy to bypass.

Many of these options I've listed here are simple to break through. The whole point is to put up as many road blocks as possible in order to perhaps frustrate anyone trying to break into your wireless network. The best defense is to not let anyone in to begin with. So, enable WPA2 and use the longest and strongest password you can. And invest in buying a VPN. I recommend taking a look at www.iphantom.com. Phantom gateways has a very easy-to-use, affordable and powerful VPN that even the simplest of computer users can figure out.

The best security is to switch to WPA2 by far. Get rid of WEP, its security is almost as equal to nothing. And if you have information that needs to be kept secret, WPA2 is the best option by far.

This is a "Wireless Security for Dummies" guide and very simple, yet it is written so that even the uneducated user can apply it to protect their data.

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