Is my wireless network secure?

Most wi-fi networks are not secure straight out of the box. However, there are a few things you can do to make it more secure. Please realize you’ll need to refer to your owner’s manuals for the various parts of your WiFi network to enable these.

• Change the SSID. The SSID is like a Windows Workgroup in some respects. For WiFi devices to communicate they should all have the same SSID. We recommend changing the workgroup to something other than the default supplied. For security reasons you MAY want to make it something discrete too. Linksys = bad. Default = bad. CompanyName = I'd be careful. Maybe come up with something familiar to you (and your staff if needed) but not too obvious. Some Access Points let you disable SSID Broadcast. There are security benefits to doing this.
• WEP: Wireless Encryption Protocol. A weak security system designed to encrypt your traffic as it flies through the air. Typically adequate as a deterrant for home use for pretty weak for corporate use. 64-bit and 128-bit (also called 40 bit and 104 bit) are the two flavours. Be aware that many device let you set the key via a Passphrase. Different vendors run different algorithms on the passphrase so your best bet is to use one device, enter the passphrase and then manually enter the hex information into the other devices. Also change keys periodically. Every day, week, month or year, up to you.
• MAC filtering blocks traffic if it is not coming from selected MAC Addresses (NICs). This is another layer of security. If you have stable environment and you're not introducing new NICs on a regular basis then this is worthwhile too.

 

Our team can work with you to develop a custom solution to fit your needs, whatever they might be.

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