What is Wireless Security

 

Wireless security can be categorized into two types, that is; Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and Wi-Fi Protected Access which is also known as (WPA). Shocking as it may seem, many organizations are victims of security breaches and cyber attacks that are propagated by competitors in the field or “nerdy” hackers just for the fun of it.

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Wireless security systems are open to risks due to bad usage and poor maintenance, although you can never be really safe from breaches, understanding the different threats and solutions to them can go a long way in ensuring that your network system is protected at all times.

Some of the threats encountered in wireless connectivity may include the following;
Unauthorized access: This is gaining access to administrator’s privileges of data and resources within the network. This can be done through identity theft whereby the attacker will assume the identity of the administrator and therefore can have access to all data and information on the network.
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In order to avoid unauthorized access to your network, install a better authentication and proper access control mechanisms in your wireless network.

Spamming or flooding: In this type of threat, the attacker floods the network with encrypted messages that affect the stability of the network making it unresponsive and non functional. This type of attack is also known as denial of service. Eavesdropping: this is like “listening in” to whatever data is been transmitted over the network.
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The hacker can attack the network from wherever by tapping into the companies Access Points. This attack will compromise the integrity and confidentiality of the data shared within the network. There are other more threats to wireless security that one can encounter during networking. What’s more important is to be aware of preventive measures that you need to take so as to avoid such security breaches.
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Some of the general measures you can follow include;
- Creation of backups. All backup your data frequently. You never know when you might get hacked.

- Understand your network topology. Knowing the structure will help you in protecting the system.

-  Perform system checks, testing and assessments regularly in order to make sure you are protected.

- Keep your system up-to-date. Installing updates will enhance your security.

- Disable public sharing as it will only expose your data to strangers.
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Internet connections will expose you to the world more than anything else. It is very important to be extra careful when you are accessing the internet as cyber crimes are on the increase as the days go by.
​Avoid online banking, credit card transactions and shopping if you are not sure of the online environment you are dealing with.
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If you understand these threats and follow the prevention measures above then you will minimize the risks of wireless security breaches.