How to wireless internet security

Take a read through the following tips and commit to taking these steps to make your network more secure. For the purposes of this article, we assumed a relatively common residential network setup featuring a single wireless router with a built-in access point. Where your WiFi password will allow you to connect to the internet using your router, your router password gives you access to the actual configuration settings of the WiFi network itself.

The problem with leaving a default password in place is that everyone from amateur teenage hackers to sophisticated cybercriminals can find that password somewhere online and use it to get into your network. Changing default passwords helps to reduce cybersecurity risks. Comcast technical support to assist you.

As is the case with other electronic devices, router manufacturers often discover bugs and other issues that need to be addressed after products have already been shipped and installed. This setting will make it difficult for hackers to access your network.

Almost all wireless routers come with an encryption feature. By default it is turned off. Make sure you turn it on immediately after your broadband provider installs the router. When using a wireless router at home, it is highly recommended that you disable network name broadcasting to the general public.

This feature is often useful for businesses, libraries, hotels and restaurants that want to offer wireless Internet access to customers, but it is usually unnecessary for a private wireless network. Always install the latest software available on the system and download the latest security patches to ensure no security hole or breach is left open to online predators.

Wireless routers generally contain built-in firewalls but are sometimes shipped with the firewall turned off. A virtual private network , or VPN, is a group of computers or networks that work together over the Internet. When you log in with your credentials your computer exchanges keys with another server. Once both computers have verified each other as authentic, all your Internet communication is encrypted and secured from outside prying.

Most of all, check what devices connect to your home network and make sure they have reliable security software like Norton Security installed against viruses and spyware. All rights reserved. Firefox is a trademark of Mozilla Foundation. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon. However, it is widely known that WEP is the least secure network type as hackers have developed tactics of reverse-engineering and cracking the encryption system. In , WPA2 brought significant changes and more features to the wireless security gambit. A major vulnerability comes from the potential damage done when login credentials get placed in the wrong hands.

That is why this protocol is most often used for a residential or open Wi-Fi network. To encrypt a network with WPA2-PSK you provide your router not with an encryption key, but rather with a plain-English passphrase between 8 and 63 characters long. And those encryption keys are constantly changed. Although WEP also supports passphrases, it does so only as a way to more easily create static keys, which are usually composed of the hex characters and A-F.

The actual authentication process is based on the There are just a few components that are needed to make WPA2-Enterprise work. Realistically, if you already have access points and some spare server space, you possess all the hardware needed to make it happen.

Because each device is authenticated before it connects, a personal, encrypted tunnel is effectively created between the device and the network. The security benefits of a properly configured WPA2-Enterprise grant a near-impenetrable network.

This protocol is most often used by businesses and governments due to its heightened security measures. SecureW2 is an industry leader in WPA2-Enterprise security solutions — everything from certificate-based authentication to device onboarding. See how we can strengthen your network security today. WP3 is introducing the first major changes to wireless security in 14 years.

Some notable additions for the security protocol are:. Greater protection for passwords Individualized encryption for personal and open networks More security for enterprise networks. A strategy to do this uses Simultaneous Authentication of Equals SAE to make brute-force dictionary attacks far more difficult for a hacker.

This protocol requires interaction from the user on each authentication attempt, causing a significant slowdown for those attempting to brute-force through the authentication process. A significant improvement that WPA3-Enterprise offers is a requirement for server certificate validation to be configured to confirm the identity of the server to which the device is connecting.

WPA2 became a standard in , and even today organizations have a difficult time supporting it on their network. As the internet is becoming more accessible, via mobile devices and gadgets, data security is becoming a top concern from the public, as it should be. Data breaches and security malfunctions can cost individuals and businesses thousands of dollars. It is important to know the threats that are most prevalent in order to be able to implement the proper security measures.

A man-in-the-middle MITM attack is an incredibly dangerous type of cyber attack that involves a hacker infiltrating a private network by impersonating a rogue access point and acquiring login credentials. The attacker sets up hardware pretending to be a trusted network, namely Wi-Fi, in order to trick unsuspecting victims into connecting to it and sending over their credentials.

MITM attacks can happen anywhere, as devices connect to the network with the strongest signal, and will connect to any SSID name they remember. Interested in learning more about MITM attacks, read another one of our articles here.

However, there are many tools that hackers can use to expedite the process.