Encrypting your domestic WiFi

Many of us have at least one home network and this network is, increasingly, wireless. These networks connect multiple devices, including other computers, tablets, smartphones, external storage, printers, etc. Such wireless networks have a fair range – in the order of 20 meters inside a building, more outside. he range of Bluetooth networks is smaller and these support wireless devices (keyboards and mouse) as well as smartphones.

 

Why is this an issue?

A third party could make parasitic use of an unencrypted network if it can find such a hotspot. These hotspots are easily found. If no password is required your data can become theirs

 

What you should do about it

• When installing a wireless network at home using a router, the supplier provides installation and configuration instructions which include an encryption algorithm such as WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access also called RSN Robust Secure Network) and a long and impossible to memorise a long password that can be between 24 and 63 characters lon Keep a copy

of this password in a secure place so that it can be re-keyed if necessary, although this is unlikely to be a frequent need

• Activate the Media Access Control (MAC) to ensure only your devices are paired with the WiFi router (detailed instructions can be found in the documentation and/or online).

 

• Change the default Service Set Identifier (SSID) so that a scanner looking for WiFi hotspots cannot know to whom the router belon
• Ensure the router software, firmware and related device drivers are up to dat
• Use your firewall to prevent incoming data traffic through the