We live in
a wireless age it seems, everything from remote controlled cars to our computer
mouse has become wireless. This has become a benefit for our growing
information processing needs, but in the age of information (both public and
private) security is of utmost importance. For businesses this especially true,
daily transactions of reports for funds as well as personal can be compromised
by hands unknown.
For those of you who own business this is a very important topic that can make
or break your business in this new age of ours.
Threats to your wireless network. Its important to be aware of threats so you
can prevent them, so below I have compiled a list of six different threats that
can infiltrate your network:
- Wi-Phishing,
the counterpart of Wifi. This application allows others to replicate a user
name and have total access to all the information on it. This is
potentially hazardous to big companies because of the amount of money they
generate a year. Imagine owning a business that grosses about 100 million
dollars a year. Now imagine that with a few keystrokes someone else had access
to all those millions!
- War Drivers
are similar to Wi-Phishers except they attack businesses whose wireless network
is unsecured. It is very important that you maintain some type of security over
all your computers whether personal or business.
- The Evil
Client is an access point that seemingly offers users a hotspot point with
unbelievable speed and signal strength. Once ensnared by this trap the evil
client will have access to all your computer’s information (even beyond a
firewall).
- Bluejacking is just as
common as the evil client, but much more sinister. Instead of offering a
hotspot access, a bluejacket can steal information from a blue tooth device and
record it.
- Viruses, especially
those found on cell-phones are particularly dangerous. Nowadays our entire life
is placed on public display by Facebook and other applications. Also,
information from our phone can be destroyed or even stolen from you via a
cell-phone virus.
Wireless
network viruses carry the same capabilities as their phone counterparts and can
lead to serious damage if not corrected.
Protecting your wireless network From the list above it seems like all of our personal information is always in a state of compromise, though with proper protection and downloads these threats can be resolved and destroyed. Primarily use of a strong password is enough to frustrate even the most ruthless of information thieves. Make sure all the passwords for your email and network access are more than eight letters long and have more than one digit. Also layering your encryption can be another great tool to keep vandals away from your information. You want at least two layers of encryption for your wireless networks this may seem a bit much, but you can never be to secure. If you feel you need an extra level of security for your company then you can hire a professional company to look after your wireless networks solutions. There are many companies that offer protection, but in the UK, Lan2lan are making a good name for themselves.
However you protect your company’s information, I wish you the best of luck and urge you to be safe in 2013.