Protect Yourself!

Wireless networking and Internet connection sharing have become very popular in the last few years. Wireless is a cheap, convenient way for families and small businesses to share files, printers, and Internet access without the expense of running cables.

Unfortunately, the convenience of wireless networking also has a dark side. The vast majority of wireless networks are woefully insecure. And insecure wireless networks put you, your network, your personal identity, and even our nation's security at risk.

The Risks of Wireless

Companies who manufacture wireless equipment know that the majority of their customers are not IT professionals, so they make setting up a working wireless network as simple as possible.

By default, wireless routers and access points will allow literally any wireless-enabled computer using the same radio frequency band and protocol (for example, 2.4 GHz devices using the 802.11g protocol, which are the most popular wireless devices at the time of this writing) to connect to them.

And just to make it extra-simple, wireless routers and access points openly broadcast their names and channel assignments to all other wireless devices within range, they use default passwords that are published on the Web, and they don't require any sort of encryption or authentication whatsoever.

In other words, using the default settings, literally anyone with a laptop and a wireless card can park a few houses down from your home and connect to your wireless network.

So what's the big deal?

A lot of people really don't care if their tightwad neighbor shares their Internet access. But they should. The risks of an unsecured wireless network are much more serious than most people realize. For example:

"War drivers" drive around looking for wireless access points and map them on databases that are readily available over the Internet.

The Terms of Service (TOS) of most broadband Internet providers forbid sharing an Internet connection with people outside the customer's household or business. If an ISP notices that your connection is being shared outside your own home, they can cancel your service.

Hackers and identity thieves look for unsecured wireless networks so they can access the personal information stored on the networked computers, such as passwords, credit card numbers, and so forth.

If a criminal uses your Internet connection for illegal purposes (such as downloading child pornography, communicating terrorist plans, spamming, circulating viruses, or committing identity theft), their crime will trace back to you!

Because most people who set up their wireless networks themselves never bother to change the insecure, default settings that came with their wireless routers, all of the above activities are beyond easy. They are effortless.

How We Can Help

BarrowGEEK can audit your wireless network to identify its vulnerabilities. We'll make it as difficult as possible for unauthorized individuals to infiltrate your wireless network or use your shared Internet connection. In most cases, we can do this using your existing wireless equipment.

Don't allow your wireless network to place you, your data, or our nation at risk. Please contact us for an appointment and a personalized wireless security audit.