Press Release 22 November 2007
Ensure wireless networks are secure, but without protection they are vulnerable.
1. Change your Wi-Fi base station passwords, many Wireless Access Points (WAP) are set with passwords such as admin or default therefore allowing would be hacker's easy access.
2. Ensure Anti-virus and Anti-spyware Software is installed on your PC and always kept up to date.
3. Ensure Windows is set for automatic updates; these often contain updated security settings. From the Windows Menu click Start - Settings - Control Panel - Security Centre - Automatic updates - Enabled.
4. Check your Firewall is enabled. From the Windows Menu click Start - Settings - Control Panel - Security Centre - Firewall - Enable.
5. Make sure your password is a mixture of letters and numbers do not use passwords such as 'mother's maiden name' and do not use one password for everything.
6. Turn on the WPA/WEP Encryption - this scrambles messages sent over wireless networks so that they cannot be easily read. Details of how to check this will be contained in the Wireless Access Point manual.
7. Disable Service Set Identifier (SSID) broadcast - This will hide your WAP from casual hackers. Again details on how to check this can be found in the WAP user manual. The SSID is the name of your wireless network; do not call it 'The Smith House Network'.
8. Enable MAC filtering (Machine Access Code) this will tie your WAP down to only those devices with the MAC addresses your have specified. (WAP user manual)
9. Logging - ensure that logging is enabled on your WAP and check the logs regularly. This will indicate whether you have an unwelcome visitor.
10. Power off the WAP when not in use, if it's not active it cannot be compromised.
7.8 Million People in the UK have insecure home networks that anyone can use.