Compared to recent years, wireless technology has become more accessible, affordable, and user-friendly, as it enables wireless communication and data transfer between locations without the use of cables or wires. Airborne wireless signals are easily interceptable by unauthorized parties. The wireless network must be secured to prevent unauthorized users from stealing or misusing data.
Therefore, if you’re considering using wireless technology, as an end user this is why cyber awareness is important. Cyber-crime shows no signs of slowing down and cyber-attack has the potential to debilitate an organisation which is why you as an end users must understand cybersecurity best practices and how they work to protect your information from any cyber threat.
Here we will enlighten you on possible ways you can secure your wireless technology, be it;
- Wi-Fi
- Infrared Communication
- Broadcast Radio
- Satellite Communication
- Microwave Communication
- Bluetooth Technology
With the following guidelines, You can protect your information on any of your wireless technology when you;
- Make your network invisible
- Rename your wireless network
- Encrypt your network traffic
- Change your administrator password
- Be cautious with file sharing
- Make sure to update your wireless technology regularly.
Network Invisibility (Make your network Invisible)
You can take steps to ensure that your data remains private. When using wireless technology for business purposes, make sure that your network is secure. With the help of “identifier broadcasting” your wireless access points can announce their presence to wireless-enabled computers. Since you’re the only one who needs to know you have a wireless network in your home, you do not need the identifier broadcasting, therefore, To stop identifier broadcasting, follow the instructions in your access point’s user guide.
Rename your wirless Network
A default credential comes with wireless technology. The default credentials are managed by various manufacturers and are generally known, anybody who is familiar with that same name can easily gain access to your network which may expose your information and also makes your network vulnerable to cyberthreat. This name is referred to as the Service Set Identifier(SSID) or Extended Service Set
Identifier(ESSID). So, it is advisable to change the default credentials to a name only you know.
Encrypt your Network Traffic
Encryption is all about making sure that no one else can see your online activities or the personal and business information that goes along with them. So, your wireless device should let you encrypt the traffic going between the device and the internet by converting it to a code that can only be interpreted by the computers with the right key to that code.
Change your Administrator Password
To make it more difficult for hackers to crack since your wireless access point is likely built with a default password and for the fact that their default passwords are widely known which makes it more easier for anyone to get unauthorised access to your wireless technology. It is advisable to change your administrator password to something really difficult to guess, and contains characters without including any personal information.
Be Cautious with File Sharing
Without proper security measures in place, file sharing can introduce the risk of hacking and loss or exposure of information. You should disable this option on your wireless technologies if you do not need to share files and as well allocate a directory so you won’t have to open your entire hard drive for file sharing along with a difficult password to protect whatever you’re sharing.
Make sure to frequently update your wireless Technology
It can be hard to keep your information safe when you use wireless technology, new patches will always be provided by your wireless technology manufacturer so do well to check regularly for new updates from the manufacturer’s web site and make sure to update your software.
NOTE: The most common way to keep your information safe when using wireless technology is to:
is to be aware of how it is transmitted and be wary of any malicious software.
