Safe, Secure, Easy Wireless

Do you have a wireless network or are thinking about one and how secure does it need to be?  Wireless networks are wonderful things in terms of mobility and ease of use.  But with this convenience there comes risk, the security your wireless network.  This not only applies to the office area but also the home user where people take work home via laptops etc…

Many wireless networks are not properly secured, often they are set up informally and quickly.  But it need not be a problem - Kinetics can help.

 Always treat the wireless network as an open door internet connection.  There is rarely any form of access control to the wireless network, apart from basic data encryption.  So use your expensive firewall solution to provide protection to your wireless network.  This means separating your wireless network from the rest of the core network.  In many wireless installations there are two distinct uses for the wireless network.  Business operations using mobile devices for stock and productivity management (e.g. using mobile barcode scanners, etc..) and management users with laptops and PDA’s.  Often the  management user is the greatest risk as they have access to the core business information.

Things to consider:

Any security is better than no security at all

Basic things to do:

• Switch off the SSID Broadcast (broadcast ID of the wireless network)
• Change default Access Point SSID name
• Change default administrator password
• Change default IP configuration
• Use MAC Address filtering

Use encryption

• Least secure WEP 64/128bit
• Better:  WPA
• Better still: WPA2

Use authentication

• Mobile device: login authentication
• Regular rotation of passwords

None of this needs to be an expensive or a time consuming exercise.   Most wireless gear has these features built on and its just a question of turning it on.  Your Kinetics engineer will be only too happy to help!