Securing Your Wi-Fi Network

It was observed that fire could help as much as it can harm. The same can be said of Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity) networks. If used without understanding and caution, you can find yourself getting badly burned.

The most common area of self-inflicted injury is security. The top reason 60% to 70% of all Wi-Fi networks are unprotected is that their owners simply have not turned on basic security settings. As a result, any unskilled intruder can drive around and effortlessly open most wireless networks. He can then use them to monitor user activity, open local files, and access with impunity the Internet for illegal activities.

This was dramatically illustrated in a Toronto arrest in 2003. Police stopped a car for a traffic violation and found the driver naked waist down with a laptop playing a pornographic video that was streamed through a near by homeowner’s wireless network. Under Canadian law, the driver was charged with possession, distribution and creation of illegal pornography, and telecommunications theft.

The consequences for the homeowner could have been severe; as such illegal activity would appear to be done by him. Luckily the real perpetrator was caught, and the homeowner’s name cleared.

What to do?

Protecting your Wi-Fi from wandering miscreants is not hard. Here are four steps you can do with your Wi-Fi router or access point to keep the barbarians at bay:

1. Change the default SSID (Service Set Identifier) or ESSID (Extended Service Set Identifier) of your device to something unique and hard to guess.
2. Change the factory default administrator password on your device.
3. Disable identifier broadcasting on your device. Announcing your wireless network’s SSID or ESSID to the neighborhood is an invitation for trouble.
4. Enable Wi-Fi encryption to discourage hackers. WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and its improved replacement WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encrypt your data to stop eavesdropping and access.

Be Aware

The last step of enabling encryption is not foolproof. Cracking WEP to allow access to your network is well known; however, doing so takes time and effort. If your router or access point only has WEP, don’t let WEP’s weakness deter you from activating it. Cracking WEP is more work than most casual hackers are willing to do.

You should use WPA’s nearly unbreakable encryption. Though WPA fixes the security defects in WEP, WPA is still subject to hacking. WPA’s only Achilles heel is a human operator using poorly crafted short pass phrases that can be cracked with a robust dictionary attack.

The sensationalized dangers of using Wi-Fi arise primarily from user apathy. Following the simple security setup instructions that came with your router or access point can quash most of these risks.

About the author:
Bruce Padmore is the Co-Founder of Leap Frog Solutions, Inc. Leap Frog Solutions is an IT Service Provider helping businesses and home users in a broad range of computer, network, and software needs. Leap Frog's unique philosophy and approach to providing affordable, consistent, and high quality IT service was developed from working for demanding Fortune 500 clients.

To learn more about how Leap Frog Solutions applies its veteran experience to home users and local businesses, log into www.LeapFrogNow.com or call 888-549-0752.

illustration by Bruce Padmore