| Everybody loves the freedom of wireless | | | | stealing information that may be vital to him or |
| computers. They allow us to work wherever we | | | | the company he works for. Some would even do |
| find ourselves in at any time of the day. Whether | | | | illegal transactions using the network so that when |
| we're at a coffee shop, at a friend's house or in | | | | somebody tries to trace the trail of such illegal |
| the beach enjoying the fine white sand, our | | | | activity, everything leads to the network owner, |
| laptops enable us to work without sacrificing the | | | | not the one who actually did the transaction. |
| quality of our output. From personal to business | | | | Hence, anyone other than the perpetrator could |
| users, these wireless devices provide us with the | | | | be held accountable. |
| kind of mobility and productivity that we could | | | | That's not all there is to it, though. There is a way |
| only dream of before. For the same reason, the | | | | to prevent these scenarios such as WPA or Wi-Fi |
| popularity of this technology has become | | | | Protected Access encryption, a process that |
| widespread and uncontrollable. | | | | allows a user to send information in coded form, |
| While this presents us with a world of benefits | | | | setting secure passwords, installing antivirus |
| whether for personal or business purposes, | | | | software and anti-malware, activating the firewall |
| laptops have always come to us as a positive | | | | and changing default router settings. |
| experience. However, on the other side, there are | | | | However, there are a few things that most |
| problems that may not be as simple as they | | | | forget when securing their wireless networks. One |
| sound. | | | | is turning off the identifier broadcasting feature. A |
| For example, a wireless computer will have to | | | | lot of wireless routers have a built-in capability |
| obtain a broadband Internet connection through | | | | called identifier broadcasting which spreads a signal |
| what is called an access point which may be a | | | | to all devices within the area to make itself |
| cable or DSL line running into a modem. To have | | | | known. Definitely, this feature must be turned off |
| a wireless network, this access point needs to be | | | | in order to prevent hackers from accessing the |
| connected to a wireless router which then | | | | network. A user should then be safe connecting |
| spreads the signal up to a maximum distance of a | | | | manually with the SSID name. |
| hundred feet. That means any wireless computer | | | | Also, it's never safe to assume that public wi-fi |
| within that area may be able to use the web. | | | | zones in hotels, restaurants, cafes and the like are |
| While there seems to be no real problem about | | | | secure. It could be any hacker connected to that |
| having other people connect to the Internet | | | | network and it surely won't be of help if we |
| through the signal that one is giving off from his | | | | indiscriminately chose any of these wi-fi zones to |
| own network, some people just may have other | | | | connect to. By all means, we should practice |
| things in mind. Then one's Internet security will | | | | precaution by verifying with the establishment |
| have been compromised. They may actually | | | | about what measures they are implementing to |
| access the network owner's files and start | | | | secure their wireless network. |