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The A-Z of Business Wireless Network Security

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15 September 2020

Whilst wireless networking has made our work lives immeasurably easier, it does pose a risk to the safety and security of our IT environment. If at any point, your business’s wireless network is compromised, there could be serious repercussions. 
If cyber criminals hack into your business network, they can hijack confidential client information, infect your system with malware or upload/download illegal materials that could subject you to a potential lawsuit. 
This is why wireless network security has to be a top priority in all organisations. 
At Redpalm, we have compiled a list of comprehensive tips that will help you keep your wireless network secure and avoid potential problems!
Let’s take a look!

Use WPA2 to Access Wireless Network and Communications

Every wireless router comes equipped with robust encryption capabilities. You can leverage this encryption to jumble your data and make it practically unreadable to anyone who isn’t the recipient. 
The three most common types of encryption methods are WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), WPA (WiFi Protected Access) and WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access2). It is highly recommended to use WPA2 as it engages the toughest encryption algorithm to keep your network safe. 
Use WPA if you have an older router that doesn’t support WPA2. Avoid using WEP as it is now very outdated and can be hacked into easily. 

Remove Rogue Access Points (AP)

Any unauthorised point of access into your network is considered a rogue AP. These points are often created by someone who is a part of your network but has poor connectivity. While that’s perfectly reasonable, the problem is that these points might not be properly configured with adequate security when compared to the rest of your IT environment. This might potentially present an unguarded and vulnerable point of entry to cyber criminals. 
For round the clock network monitoring, call Redpalm. Additionally, we also perform access point scanning to keep an eye on potential digital threats. 

Protect Systems That Access Your Wireless Network

Even with the best security measures in place, there is always a risk that hackers can infiltrate your wireless network security. To mitigate the damage and to keep all your systems up and running, it’s important to install antivirus and anti-malware software on all endpoints that have access to your network. 
More importantly, for thorough patch management and disaster recovery, you need to ensure that all your operating systems, devices and applications are up to date to avoid issues with bugs and system vulnerabilities. 
At Redpalm, we provide robust cyber security solutions that safeguard your business network while keeping digital threats at bay. 

Use a Strong Password for Your Router Login

Wireless routers usually come with a default password for the administrator account. It is extremely important that you change this default password to a strong one that is at least eight characters long with numbers and special characters. Use both uppercase and lowercase letters but not in a predictable pattern. Changing and regularly updating your passwords is the best way to safeguard your business network.

 

Set Up and Configure Private and Public Access

Having both employees and the general public work, connect and communicate over the same network is a digital disaster waiting to happen. For enhanced wireless network security, it is best to separate the traffic on your business network. We can help you create two different access points using SSID (Service Set Identifier) to maximise security. 
We create a business-grade access point for your employees and a public one for your customers and clients. This way, your business devices can be isolated from guests, offering an additional layer of security and protection.

Don’t Connect to Public Wireless Networks…

…Unless you’re using a secure VPN. Although the major public wireless providers are taking steps to increase the security of their public wireless networks they are still notorious hotspots for hackers.

This not only poses a risk to your device and data whilst connected to the wireless network, but could lead to a greater breach in your business network at a later date, if your device is unknowingly infected with malware that allows a cyber criminal access over a period of time.

Set Up a Network Policy Server (NPS)

A network policy server allows you to configure business-wide rules to limit access of unauthorised devices to your network; giving you an additional layer of protection to safeguard the health and security of your infrastructure.

A unique feature of NPS is that it be used as a health evaluator for network access – performing authentication and authorisation checks to ensure that only devices that pass predetermined health compliance tests are able to access your network.

For help setting up your network policy server (NPS), you can call our team of experts on 0333 006 3366.

Partner with a Managed Network Services Provider

Teaming up with a managed network services provider like Redpalm will allow you to control the security and performance of your business network with 24/7/365 monitoring and hands-on network operations support. 
With us by your side, you can implement a robust company-wide wireless security policy that will significantly reduce the risk of a data breach, allowing you to concentrate on your day-to-day business operations and functions. 

Call Redpalm for Enhanced Wireless Network Security

Irrespective of the size of your business, your data is at the core of your operation. If that is compromised, you risk losing mission-critical information or systems that are integral for you to function on a day to day basis. 
Leverage Redpalm’s cyber security expertise to safeguard your IT environment and infrastructure. With our managed IT support and exceptional technical proficiency, we ensure that you are not an easy target for hackers and cyber criminals. 
Ensure you have the maximum security available to protect your business from cyber threats compromising your system’s data integrity.
Give us a call today to make the most of our cyber security prowess!

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