Wireless networks are becoming more popular all over the world, be it in office, home, schools, colleges or coffee shops. Using a wireless network provides real flexibility, providing access within a specified range of the router, but at the same time it’s risky to use wireless if not used properly without a good security configuration.
Below are some tips for minimising security risks while using a wireless connection.
1. Always change the default administrator password of your router and the username; usually we all know that the username and password of the router are on a label at the back of your router. Do not keep the same username and password. Always make sure that you change the username especially of your router and then the password which needs to be in alphanumeric 15 characters password.
2. Turn on the WPA / WEP Encryption – Most wi-fi devices support encryption. Basically encryption is a form of scrambling messages being transferred over wireless networks so that they are not easily traceable or read by someone when the data is being transferred.
3. Change the default SSID, which are basically the access points which the router uses for a network name called the SSID. The Original Equipment Manufacturers normally ship their products with the same SSID set. So for instance for Juniper, the SSID for Juniper devices is normally “juniper”. If someone knows your SSID it doesn’t mean that someone will be able to break into your network, but it’s basically the first door to break in as if someone knows your SSID and it is not configured properly on the network there are chances for hackers to attack it. So it’s always better to change the SSID instantly when you are configuring wireless security on your network.
4. Last and the most important point is enabling firewalls, Most of the routers now have built in firewalls but they do have an option to disable it as well. You need to make sure that that this setting is always set on enabled.