Wi-Fi security: Staying safe on the move04 April 2006
As more and more of us in the UK choose a broadband connection to get online the demand for flexible wireless internet access is increasing too. There are already 12,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the country and a number of city-wide Wi-Fi services either in place or on the way.
Easily available wireless internet access looks set to revolutionise the way individuals and businesses work as it becomes increasingly simpler for staff to work wherever they are - whether it be at home, on location or while travelling.
While accessing the internet in this way delivers numerous advantages in terms of time, cost and productivity to businesses of all sizes, it also throws up fresh considerations in terms of computer and data security.
A Wi-Fi network, as with any wired network, is susceptible to attack and problems caused by hackers and viruses. People using Wi-Fi to access the internet via their mobile device need to remain vigilant and ensure that they take precautions to protect both their personal information and company data.
How is Wi-Fi protected?
Trade industry group the Wi-Fi Alliance, which owns the rights to the term Wi-Fi, announced in March that all Wi-Fi certified products must be equipped with its latest version of WiFi Protected Access (WPA2) standard encryption method.
The WPA class of systems replace the previous standard, Wired Equivalent Privacy, which was found to have a number of weaknesses. WPA incorporates the IE 802.11i standard, which supplies authentication, RSN, confidentiality and associations processes.
Despite the fact that all Wi-Fi networks and products must now utilise this security measure, it is still essential that wireless internet's end-users apply their own security precautions. Indeed, a recent survey from Panda Software found that on average 60 per cent of networks across a range of countries did not have sufficient security in place.
How to protect yourself
There are a number of ways in which mobile device users can protect themselves and their data:
- Firewalls and virus scans - ensuring that firewall and virus software is in place is essential to protect the security of your network and your data.
- MAC restrictions - limiting the wireless network to Media Access Connection (MAC) device addresses means that unknown devices can be prevented from entering the network.
- Data backup - although these measures will help to protect data it is important that businesses arrange an online data back-up service. In this way if a laptop or data is lost or damaged it can be retrieved online and disruptions to operations limited.
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