It is becoming more and more common for the average household to have multiple computers connected to the internet.  At the same time, Wireless Home Networks are becoming more popular.

You would be surprised how many times I have been somewhere with houses nearby, jumped on my iPhone to check email, and see insecure wireless networks popping up with generic names like “default”. 

What is the danger in having an insecure wireless network?  There are numerous dangers and internet theft has become more common in populated areas.  A neighbor can easily jump on you insecure wireless connection and have the advantage of DSL or Cable speed internet without having to pay for it.  If they happen to be into downloading a lot of music or movies, their piggy backing on your connection can severely reduce the speed of your connection.  

Doesn’t sound that bad?  What if they are downloading illegal files though your connection?  What about the fact that by being on your insecure network, they can potentially access computers and files in your home?

It is great to have the technology to connect multiple computers in our home to the internet and to be able to sit on the couch with a laptop and have a wireless connection.  If you are not sure how to set it up yourself, have a professional do it for you.  Question the person installing your wireless device about the security they are implementing.  If you already have a wireless internet connection and are not sure if it is secure, talk with the people who installed it for you and ask them about it.  If you still are not sure, have it checked out.

Happy and Secure Computing!

Hello linuxabuser, thank you for participating on the forum.

WPA has received a lot of praise for addressing the weaknesses identified in WEP.  WPA2 provides a tighter security model than WPA, but requires new hardware and software and is incompatible with existing WEP equipment.  Though WPA is less secure than WPA2, it is more secure than WEP and is generally backward compatible with most existing WiFi hardware.

It is true that WEP leaves a lot to be desired with regard to security, but is still sufficient for most home and small business users.  It will prevent most casual snoopers and connection thieves.  Tech Savvy users can use utilities to “break” WEP codes and gain access to a network.  For small businesses running a domain I recommend use of NTFS network permissions in addition to the wireless network security.

Which of the wireless schemas to use depends in part the level of risk the end user wishes to accept.  If you have sensitive information that must be protected, a higher level of security will be a priority.  For a home computer user that checks email and surfs the internet, a higher level of risk may be acceptable.

A RADIUS Server is good for a business network as it provides a hardware security on the external network prior to access reaching the internal network at the hardware level.  Having business level software protection as well will increase your protection.  I think most businesses could do without having the Wireless Intrusion Detection, but again it is a matter of what is an acceptable level of risk. It may be appropriate for businesses dealing with especially sensitive information.

Thanks again for posting on the forum, please continue to post in the future.

Mark