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
Posts Tagged ‘Personal Data’
Securing Your Home Network
February 20th, 2010Secure Your Home Wireless Network And Keep Hackers Out
October 7th, 2009
One of the most important, yet under-implemented features of any home wireless network is security. Many people worry only about file sharing and network printing. But many people underestimate the need for security or simply do not understand it. Security is important because unlike conventional wired networks, wireless signals are transmitted across a broader spectrum and thus can be easily picked up.
With the ever growing threat of identity theft you want to take the steps necessary to secure your home wireless network. There are some minor threats and major threats to your personal information. On the minor side an intruder may easily connect to your unsecured wireless network and use it for free internet access. This is called piggybacking. These are minor threats to your privacy.
A major threat is a hacker who is looking to attack your network and hack into it and access your files and personal data. Once they have this they can easily start stealing your identity or selling it to someone who will.
Wireless security can easily be implemented by following a few guidelines. One of the most important features is MAC address filtering. Each computer has a unique MAC address. In your network configuration you enter the MAC addresses of your PCs and laptops. Any other computer that is not specified in your network will be blocked from accessing it.
Another important network security feature is disabling the broadcast of the SSID, or name of your network. It is best to refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for specifics. Most of the required security features are built in the wireless router and this is the first point that needs to be secured. Many of the security settings are turned off by default. Make sure you turn them on for best security.
You can secure and manage your network yourself if you have the time or you can buy a home networking software package that does it for you automatically. There are some good programs out there for under $30 that will secure and repair your home network.
By: Wallace Renckers
