In the last few years there has been an explosion of wireless (Wi-Fi) networks in the home. And for good reason: They are inexpensive to implement, avoid the cost and labor of running cable through your walls, allow you to roam merrily around your house and near environs with computer in tow. Plus, they are relatively simple to set up. I say "relatively" because it's far from a matter of commonsense, especially when it comes to setting up wireless home networks "properly."
You can get a home wireless network running in a basic way- to access the Internet--by simply hooking up the cables that came with the wireless router device. This is what a lot of people do, and it usually works. But what many people neglect to do is set up wireless security, and this is an extremely risky oversight. In this article I'll explain why.
You Can Get "WarChalked"
"WarChalking" is geek-speak for someone piggybacking or freeloading on someone else's wireless Internet connection, without that person's knowledge or consent.
If you have an unsecured wireless network this is the least that could happen. Your neighbor might be getting free Internet access by connecting to your unsecured broadband router. There is nothing to prevent this from happening if you have not set up your wireless security. At the very least this practice of leaching on someone else's Internet connection can drain the victim's bandwidth, causing sluggish downloads or surfing. If enough people tap into your wireless network your Internet connection could slow down to a crawl.
Your Computer Can Get Hacked
Having an unsecured wireless network can also allow people unauthorized access into your computer and private data. It opens up a "backdoor" even if your network is otherwise protected behind a firewall. Connecting wirelessly to your Internet gateway device (i.e., your Cox, Comcast, or Qwest modem) puts an unauthorized user on the "inside" of your network, just as if they snuck into your house and hooked up to your network with an Ethernet cable.
Pretty scary, right? It gets much worse.
Your Private Information or Identity Can Be Stolen
If you purchase anything online you need to submit very personal information to the website selling the product or service: information like credit card numbers, social security numbers, bank account numbers, usernames and passwords, etc.
Even if the website in question encrypts your private information during the submission process, there's little to prevent an eavesdropper from snooping in on the transaction or installing software on your computer that logs your every keystroke.
Your Home Network Can Be Used to Mask Someone Else's Illegal Activity
Every wireless home network (or more accurately, every wireless gateway device) will have a unique address traceable to its owner and his or her household. This is called an "IP Address"-let's say 71.33.56.166. This number uniquely identifies your home network from the countless others in the world. No two are ever the same.
This IP Address is unique for many reasons, and one reason is that it allows certain authorities to trace online activities back to the individual, household, or company from which those activities originated. Even though you may feel anonymous when you're surfing the Web, you really are not. Any webserver or Internet Service Provider can keep a log that records your IP Address, among other information about your computer and software.
Now, this doesn't bother most people, unless they're privacy advocates, because they're not doing anything criminal on the Internet. But it's a big problem for those who are committing crimes on the Web. How can they get around this?
They can tap into an unsecured wireless network in the neighborhood. This makes it very easy for them to get around being identified by the proper authorities. Why? Because it is you and your home network that will be identified instead! It's your IP Address that will be recorded.
Not many people want to get their doors kicked in by the FBI during a predawn raid due to someone else's Internet activities. Someone could be using your wireless network to download or distribute child pornography, hack into corporate networks, or to commit credit card fraud.
Okay, Now I'm Scared. What Can I Do To Prevent This?
The quick and easy way is to hire a professional computer or network technician to secure your wireless network for you, or at least verify that you have done it properly.
Each wireless router or gateway device can be different when it comes to how to set up its security. The device should come with instructions from the manufacturer or your ISP.
The most important thing is to set up the WEP or Wireless Encryption Protocol. WEP is what encrypts the data stream between your computer and whatever webserver on the Internet you are connecting to, preventing unauthorized interlopers from eavesdropping on your online activities, credit card transactions, and the like.
Just as importantly, it also prevents unauthorized individuals from connecting to your wireless network, either to piggyback on your Internet connection for free or to conceal their identities behind your own. They must have the encryption key to connect.
There are also additional measures you can take to protect your wireless network. For example, you can disable the feature that broadcasts your wireless network ID, for all practical purposes making your wireless network invisible to your neighbors. This is a smart thing to do but is often overlooked.
Chris Brehm
Tucson Computer Repair Service
Chris@Smbaz.com
http://www.TucsonComputerRepairService.com
