WiFi by its very nature is risky when it comes to security. What this means is that you should always be alert when using a wireless connection and put into practice good security measures.
Wireless networks represent great technology and it gives Internet users mobility and access all over the planet. Wireless network security on the other hand requires diligence on the part of the user to protect their computer as well as their private data.
How a WiFi Connection Works
Televisions, cell phones, and radios operate on radio frequency waves. The same is true with a wireless internet connection. The wireless computer has an adaptor that converts all the signals to radio waves which it then can transmit. Your computer router then actually receives the signal and sends it over the Internet through an actual hard wired connection that you have connected to one of your home computers.
In other words, if you have a home computer network, one of the computers is hardwired to the phone or cable line using an Ethernet cable. Once this is done your wireless network then sends signals to the router which sends them on to the Internet using radio frequency wave transmissions.
Big Brother is Listening
In case you are unaware, mobile phone calls can be intercepted and listened to because the transmissions are over the airwaves. The same is true for your wireless Internet connection. This is why you need to be prudent in how you secure your Internet connection and transmissions.
If you don’t engage in these security measures a number of unpleasant things can happen such as:
- Others can piggyback on your broadband connection which can cost you money. If you pay by the month for your Internet connection and you are limited to the amount of data you can transfer; you can see how someone else accessing your broadband can be costly.
- Multiple users on the same connection can slow your connection speed and drive you nuts.
- Private information can be accessed by hackers who tap into your connection which can be disastrous.
Here are some basic steps you can take to protect your wireless Internet connections making it secure. There are many more things you can do but keeping these in mind is a good start.
- Turn off your Internet connection when you aren’t using it. If you aren’t transmitting on the information highway, they can’t find you.
- Only use secure sites when personal information like credit card numbers and account information is required. You can tell if the page on which you need to enter the confidential information is secure by looking in the URL address bar. If it begins with https instead of http, the “s” at the end denotes a secure site.
- Always use a firewall and good antivirus/antispyware program. Be sure it is enabled and set it up to run scans regularly and that it will update the software automatically.
Whereas, this is not a complete list of all the things you can do to maintain a secure wireless connection, but you should be doing these at the very least.
