| When one thinks about home security, they | | | | Broadcasting |
| ususally think of taking measures like installing | | | | Your wireless network needs to have a unique |
| alarms, deadbolts, and window locking devices. But | | | | name to distinguish it from other wireless |
| if you have a wireless computer network like | | | | networks. The Service Set IDentifier is always |
| many American homes, your personal data (credit | | | | set to broadcast by default. Once again this is |
| card numbers and banking information) could be | | | | done to make it easy to connect to your wireless |
| open to hackers.When you first purchase and turn | | | | network for the first time. By broadcasting the |
| on your wireless router, the router manufacturer | | | | SSID, you are making it easy for hackers to |
| makes it dead simple to connect your wireless | | | | connect to your network. So consult your users |
| devices. Out of the box, your wireless router is | | | | manual and find out how to change your SSID to |
| unsecured. Given that most wireless routers have | | | | a unique name, and turn off the SSID Broadcast |
| a range of around 100 feet, if your neighbours | | | | feature.3. Enable WEP Encryption |
| have wireless devices, they can connect just as | | | | Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP) is a |
| easy as you can. Even worse, hackers can drive | | | | technology that will encrypt all traffic that goes |
| past your house with a $29 wireless network | | | | over your wireless network. By default, your |
| detector and discover and connect to your | | | | router will have WEP turned off, meaning that all |
| unsecured network!The good news is that you | | | | of your personal data is transfered across you |
| can perform 4 very basic steps to secure your | | | | wireless network in plain text. Once again, this is |
| wireless network and prevent hackers from | | | | an easy target for even the most inexperienced |
| gaining access to your data. You will need to | | | | hacker. Enabling WEP is very easy, and should be |
| consult the manual for your wireless router to | | | | enabled as soon as you possibly can.4. Setup a |
| perform the actual tasks described here.1. Reset | | | | MAC Address Filter |
| the router's password | | | | Finally the most advanced tip offered here is to |
| There are only a handful of wireless router | | | | setup MAC address filtering. Every computer |
| manufacturers and each one uses a common | | | | wireless adapter has a unique id called a MAC |
| default password. Linksys uses '1234' and Netgear | | | | Address. You can tell your router to only allow |
| uses 'password'. Any hacker will try these | | | | access to devices with a particular MAC address. |
| passwords first to gain access to your network. | | | | This is probably the most effective step you can |
| So change the password to prevent hackers | | | | take to secure you wireless network. |
| from accessing your data.2. Turn off SSID | | | | |