Businesses can neglect to protect their wifi. How? They do not use strong passwords. They do not install software updates and firmware. And they do not even remove rogue Access Points.
Neglecting to protect the wifi can lead to serious threats, including penetration and intrusion acts and wireless network attacks. So, it is beneficial for businesses to hire IT service providers to protect their wifi.
How to Protect Your Wifi Network?
1. Change the Server Set Identifier (SSID)
What is SSID? It is the name of your wireless network. Users see your SSID on their devices, so they know the network to connect to. Do not use the default SSIDs of your manufacturer. If you leave the default SSID unchanged it will increase the likelihood of anyone cracking the Wi-Fi password easily. You need to change it immediately to prevent advanced attacks. Having said that, do not change it to details of you or your business (Eg: your name, business name or address) If someone is attempting to hack into your network, your SSID should not reveal which network you are using. They will try to guess your password or use social engineering to get you to disclose it once they know your network.
2. Install Firmware and Software Updates
It is important to update your software. You can regularly check the website of your manufacturer for firmware patches. Once the manufacturer discovers vulnerabilities in their software, they release fixes. So, update your anti-malware, intrusion prevention systems, and firewalls.
Related post: What Is “Data Encryption” And How Does It Help To Protect Your Data
3. Enable Wi-Fi Protected Access
Certified Wi-Fi hardware comes with WPA2 that encrypts data. Encrypting your data ensures other devices cannot read the sensitive information that you are transmitting or accessing over the internet. You will just assign authorised users their own Wi-Fi logins and encryption keys.
4. Control Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
You can automatically assign a unique IP address to a device using DHCP servers. However, DHCP servers will assign a unique IP to every device. Do not let your DHCP servers assign unique IP addresses automatically. Assign IP addresses manually to control the devices that connect to your network.
5. Remove rogue Access Points (APs)
Do not let people add unauthorised Access Points to your wifi network. In a typical office or large building, an access point is a device that generates a wireless local area network, or WLAN. An access point uses an Ethernet cable to connect to a wired router, switch, or hub and broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal to a specific region. Well-meaning employees can install these rogue Access Points. However, some of these Access Points do not have certain security features, so they can make it easy for criminals to attack your business. Hire IT service providers to help you verify these Access Points.
Also read: Top 5 Things to Consider Before Designing Business Network Infrastructure
The fixes mentioned above are very complex to do. The best to ensure the safety of your business is to check all of the above mentioned with a professional IT Service provider. If you are looking for IT services in Perth to protect your Wi-Fi network, contact Rule Technology.
