4 tips to make your wireless more secure

WLAN networks provide fast Internet access for both businesses and home users. All too often, however, these wireless networks are poorly secured and can easily become targets for attack.

In this post I’ll outline a few simple measures that can make a WLAN more secure.

Use WPA2 for encryption

You should always use the WPA2 security standard. If your access point does not support WPA2, I strongly recommend disposing of this legacy device immediately and replacing it with a new access point. Older security options such as WEP can be cracked in just a few minutes using a simple browser add-on or mobile app.

Create strong passwords

Even the best encryption is ineffective if you use a weak password. The days when eight-character passwords with special characters were considered secure are long gone. We recommend passwords with at least 12 characters, including upper- and lower-case letters and special characters. You should also avoid any words that appear in a dictionary.

Name SSIDs carefully

Personal information has no place in the SSID. The SSID is the network name that appears when you connect. It may seem obvious and convenient to name the Wi‑Fi after your company or, for home networks, to use your family name. However, this makes it much easier for an attacker to identify the correct network with minimal effort. If an attacker cannot immediately see which WLAN belongs to you during a network scan, that alone adds a small extra hurdle.

Always use an SSID that does not immediately reveal which network it belongs to.

Limit radio range

Modern access points have multiple antennas and very high transmission power. Where possible, you should limit this range. This makes it harder for an attacker to attempt access to your network from a distance.

Is your WLAN secure enough?

Would you like to discuss security in your company? We are happy to help and advise you on purchasing Sophos products.