Keep the Hackers Out: How to Secure Your Business Wi-Fi Network

It may seem a little paranoid, but hackers are out to get you.

Whether you have a public network for customers or have an internal WiFi network, it’s critical that you create a secure internet connection.

There are too many stories of data breaches that occur because hackers found security flaws and exploited them. Those security flaws are largely preventable with a little advance planning.

Read on to find out how you can protect your WiFi network and keep your most important data safe and secure.

The Challenge for Businesses Today

The biggest challenge for business today isn’t getting customers. It’s making sure that information within your business is accessible across departments and different technologies. You also have to keep the data within regulations and laws.

You can have the best platform, like CORBA to use, but if your WiFi network isn’t secure, then you’re stuck. 

Keep Your Routers Physically Secure

You want to be sure that you limit who has access to your servers and routers. Most data breaches are due to employee error, so you want to limit access to your IT staff only.

What could happen is that an employee with access to your router resets it, which would erase all of your security measures in place. Your employee would have no idea, leaving your entire network vulnerable.

Change Your Network Name

This seems so simple, yet so many people fail to recognize that they need to change the network name (SSID) out of the box.

Your SSID is used as part of the encryption key, and a hacker in the area could easily guess the encryption or use a tool that scrolls through the common SSIDs to break into your system.

Once you change your SSID, you’ll want to be sure to change your login and password on your router. Almost anyone can guess admin/password123. You won’t need to access your router often, so make sure you write this down and keep it in a safe place.

Update Your Hardware and Firmware

If you have an older router, you may be more susceptible to an attack than with a brand new router. 

You’ll want to make sure that your router is still supported by the manufacturer. If it’s not, it’s time for a new router. An unsupported router won’t have any updates or upgrades, so any security flaws won’t be patched.

For new routers, you want to make sure that you check with your manufacturer to see if there are any firmware upgrades. This usually fixes any bugs and security issues with your hardware.

A Secure Internet Connection Starts with You

It’s very easy to create an internet connection and WiFi network. Creating a secure internet connection, though is another story.

You want to be sure that you keep your routers physically secure and start with simple things, like changing passwords and updating the firmware. They’re simple, but they go a long way to creating a secure network.

Want more networking tips? Check out this article to find out how you can speed up your network.