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How To Control Your NetWork
If your network is
unsecured, the personal data on your wireless electronic
equipment is also unsecured.
Wireless networks are becoming more
and more popular, and for good reason. Especially if
you have broadband Internet access, a wireless router
can give you instant communication with the world that
is worthy of the science fiction I grew up reading!
The idea of reading email while lounging
by the pool, text or instant messaging while doing the
laundry, or lounging in the Jacuzzi listening to your
MP3 collection is appealing to us all.
Unfortunately, many, or even most, wireless
units don't come with security features already functioning.
This may not seem like a big issue to someone who is
simply setting up a home network, but there are a number
of potential problems you should consider.
The most serious problem is the increase
in identity theft. If your network is unsecured, the
personal data on your wireless electronic equipment
is also unsecured. The order you just placed for a book
at Amazon may have given your contact and payment information
to an unscrupulous hacker!
Nearly every town in which "WiFi"
is common will have "War Drivers" and "War
Chalkers" at work. These are people who walk or
drive around town with wireless equipment, searching
for unsecured networks. The "Chalkers" then
live up their name, marking curbs and other public items
with chalk so that others can more easily find and exploit
your network.
Not all "War Drivers" are
hackers, of course. Many just want to use your network
for free, but the risk is high if you don't learn how
to protect yourself. You can usually find quite a bit
of free information as to how to secure your network
at the website of your router's manufacturer, or by
doing a search in a search engine for a phrase like
"secure home wireless."
Beyond the truly malicious, there are
also your neighbors who may find your network by accident
and enjoy nosing into your activities and using your
Internet access at will, slowing down your network speed
in the process.
Even many businesses use cheap, home-use
quality equipment for their company networks. With the
poor security often found on small business networks,
anyone with a basic knowledge of wireless can access
sensitive company and customer data.
If you are unable to secure your network
yourself, there are many service companies who will
do it for you. A search of your local yellow pages or
an inquiry at your neighborhood computer store should
yield professional help and get your private data private
again.
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