Networks have quickly evolved from the traditional Ethernet cable setup, with wires tucked under runs and tacked to ceilings and walls, to mobile setups with your valuable and personal data being broadcast throughout your neighborhood.
In this day, it is essential to protect yourself from attackers and snoopers, This article will employ simple techniques that can instantly make your wireless setup more secure.
The SSID
A Linksys Router will have a default Service Set Identifier (SSID). Everyone knows this. So one of your first steps in securing your network should be to change this to something else.
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
As a minimum, you should enable this on your router. WEP encrypts the data, making it harder for intruders to snag the information flying through the air. Having since been replaced by newer protocols--the latest being IEEE 802.11i standard (also known as WPA2)--WEP is the bare minimum you should use, and is widely supported by older hardware. WEP is always better than no protection at all, but realize this is a false security and anyone with hacking knowledge can quickly compromise it.
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
WPA was created to replace WEP. It is a wireless protocol with enhanced authentication and encryption. WPA's strength is that it uses the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol, which creates new keys as the system is being used. This fixes the exploits found with WEP because hacks could be used to quickly crack the key it used. If given the option, always choose WPA over WEP. Unfortunately, not all devices support this newer protocol and WEP must be settled for.
MAC Addresses
You can make your network static by physically inputting the MAC addresses of your hardware into the router table. This allows only those particular pieces of hardware to access the network. Since no two network devices share the same MAC address, this is a great way to secure your home network.
Disable DHCP
Simply put, don't allow your router to handout an IP address to anyone walking down the street with a laptop and a wireless card. You will need to physically assign each machine an IP address within the IP range you specify in the router.
By taking a moment to enable a few security protocols within your wireless network, you could prevent a hacker or snoop from gaining access to your valuable information.
No comments:
Post a Comment