Take Some Simple Steps To Protect Your Wireless Network

Restricting who can access your Wi-Fi network is smart business. 

While you want your employees and possibly guests to be able to access your wireless network, you don’t want to expose customer or staff data to unwanted intrusion.

There are a variety of basic but important ways to secure your business Wi-Fi network.

One of the first things to do is to change your router’s default username and password. Routers generally come with defaults and those are easy for hackers to find on the Internet. You should change them when you set the router up, making sure your password is unique and not easy to guess. Then you should change that password on a regular basis.

You should also put your router in a secure location so someone can’t easily press the reset button and wipe out any security steps you’ve taken. Lock the router in a cabinet or office so it can’t be easily accessed.

Don’t use the default Wi-Fi network name, which often is the name of the router. That’s because a potential hacker can likely find documentation on the web that could help them find ways to access your network. Change the name to something your staff can easily find without giving a possible intruder unnecessary clues.

Separate private and public access. If you plan to allow guest access, create an access point for employees and another for guests. You want to keep your business network isolated from public availability.

You should also check to make sure the software and firmware for your router are current. Updates often contain code to fix any possible security issues.

Another way to protect against outside access is to limit your Wi-Fi signal strength. Your goal should be to limit the signal to just your work area without creating dead spaces. The stronger the signal, the more likely it is someone outside your building could try to get unauthorized access.

If your business can’t afford a full-time IT staffer who can help perform these functions, you might want to consider contracting an IT professional to securely set up your Wi-Fi network and show you how to use it.

You’ll be happy to know that a few simple steps can make your wireless network hard to hack.