Computer Home Network » Intruders

Securing Your Home Network

admin — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:53:35 +0000

You have probably read about how people are able to gain access to an individual’s computer and essentially steal all their personal data. There are many ways that this can be done without the owner even knowing that someone is trawling around within their computer right under their nose. There a few simple steps that you can do to safeguard your personal information from internet predators.

Your home network is your first step to securing your personal data from the outside. You should have a secure perimeter network that stops any potential intruders from accessing your data. It is by far better to stop intruders at the perimeter rather than at your computer. Make sure that you have a hardware firewall enabled at the point where your home equipment connects to your internet connection. Hardware firewalls are more difficult to hack and do a good job of keeping unwanted eyes from seeing your personal computer.

A hardware firewall for homes normally comes in the form of a router. Some people have a modem connected to their internet connection but these do not come with a hardware firewall and are not secure. Make sure that you are using a router with a hardware firewall between your computer and the internet connection. If you are not sure which one has been supplied by your service provider, have a look at the original documentation or phone your service provider and ask them.

Most routers provided by internet service providers are wireless. This means that if you have a laptop, you can connect to the internet using a wireless network card from your laptop to the router, and finally out onto the internet. Even if you don’t have a laptop and use a desktop computer, the router from your service provider will still have the wireless functionality enabled. This wireless connection broadcasts a name called an SSID. This can be picked up by any wireless device normally within a 50m radius of your home. You need to make sure that the wireless broadcast is switched off if you do not use it. If you have a laptop and use it to connect to the internet wirelessly, make sure that it uses an encryption key to secure all communications. The older type of encryption is WEP and is now less secure; you should be using WPA which is more secure. Read the documentation that came with the router on how to configure encryption on your router.

By: Mike JJ Johnson

Protecting Wireless Network From Hackers and Neighbors

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:57:00 +0000

Local wireless networks, which provide information to receive and send to the Internet, have become part of the houses and offices. Where as it is less expensive than wired networks and allows for roaming between the two offices to remain in contact with the electronic devices. But experts warn of the penetration it by the strangers or intruders in order to sabotage it.

According to views of the U.S. experts, unsecured homes networks can also be used by the neighbors in order to spam bots download unauthorized material on the rights of the songs and music, and even pornographic material without knowing the owner, which had led to legal proceedings. In particular, it is difficult to identify the person or organization that used the network. One person was detained when he stopped his car in front of a U.S. charitable organization and used its network to communicate with the Internet.

The offices of small businesses were opened that do not have secured internal networks to penetrate the large companies that make business with them; this also is applied to the home network. To overcome the problems the experts proposed to change the passwords on wireless networks from time to time and installation of cryptographic keys to the codes can be changed according to a regular basis. The radio signals can be adjusted so as not to fall outside the walls of the office.

Finally, the use of advanced software to scan wireless networks secures the development of local home and office computers “in the case of the shadows!”

By: Shrif S Kassem

Online and Computer Security Advice – Protecting Your Home Wireless Network

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:00:39 +0000

One issue you have to address if you choose to install a wireless system in your home is that of security. You want to make at least some effort to make it harder for others to access your computer network, especially those who may want to attack your computer or steal your personal information. You can reduce these risks if you use the available security features that are built into a typical wireless system.

Performing any of the following steps will help you maintain your privacy when using a wireless network, and performing all of the steps will help even more.

* Change the router’s user name and password: Use something other than the default user name and password in order to make it harder for a hacker to access your system.

* Control access with a user name and password: Most wireless routers have a mechanism called identifier broadcasting. It sends out a service set identifier (SSID) signal or an extended service set identifier (ESSID) signal to any device in the vicinity announcing its presence. Change the default user name to a unique user name. For added protection, set it up to require a password for access.

* Turn off identifier broadcasting: Hackers near your home can use identifier broadcasting to locate unprotected wireless networks. Disable this mechanism if your wireless router allows it.

* Turn off wireless network when not in use: If you will not be using your wireless network for an extended period of time, turn it off or disconnect it. Hackers are unable to gain unauthorized wireless access to your computers if the wireless network is not operating.

* Use encryption: The most effective way to secure your wireless network from intruders is to encrypt, or scramble, communications over the network. Typically, the default setting is to have this system turned off. Follow the directions included with your wireless router, or the product support information on the manufacturer’s web site, to turn on encryption. Turning on encryption will allow access only to users with the proper user names and passwords. If your wireless router doesn’t have an encryption feature, consider getting one that does. Two main types of encryption are available: Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and the more secure Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). Your computer, router, and other equipment must use the same encryption.

* Be careful away from home: If you are accessing the Internet through a public hot spot, do not use this connection for anything involving sensitive private information.

Depending on your system, you may not be able to adjust all of your router’s settings. You may want to review your router’s documentation or your ISP for additional information on securing your wireless system.

By: Todd Curtis, PhD