Imagine sitting at home on your couch on a nice, sunny day surfing the web, watching YouTube videos. Thanks to wireless technology, you can take your laptop anywhere in your house and stay connected. Wireless technology has become affordable and it’s easy to use. In fact, we now consider Wi-Fi an essential component of our daily lives and likely take it for granted.
However, you should be aware of the security threats home wireless technology invites. We all encounter more than enough security issues using traditional wired connections, but you need to take additional precautions when you transmit personal information through the airwaves.
For example, failing to secure your wireless network could open your Internet connection to strangers. You could be blamed for the illegal files that malicious users download using your wireless network.
Secure your home wireless network by:
- Encrypting wireless communications. (When you install your wireless router, we recommend you select WPA-based encryption as your Wireless Security preference. It offers better protection than WEP-based encryption.)
- Changing the default password for your system.
- Changing the default system ID (SSID) of your wireless access point or router.
- Turning off identifier broadcasting.
- Using your router’s built-in firewall to restrict access to your network.
Check out this small interactive video, “Invasion of the Wireless Hackers,” or email DoIT.Security@doit.wisc.edu to learn more about wireless security.