The Good And Bad Of Wireless Internet Security
When you have a wireless network either in your home or office you need to install some type of wireless internet security measures to protect yourself. If you do not install wireless internet security measures then someone from outside the building can not only use your internet connection but could break into your computer. Wireless internet uses radio waves and those waves cannot be confined by walls of a building. So when the wireless internet router is operating the connection can be picked up outside the home or office. That is why you need wireless internet security.
Almost all wireless routers made today come with their WEP security function turned on. WEP is a wireless internet security measure known as Wired Equivalent Privacy and it requires each user to input a specific code in order to gain access to the wireless internet security system. WEP was a great idea when it first came out but it did not take people long to crack the code and make WEP fairly easy to bypass. Another popular method is called ESSID which is essentially assigning a name or id tag to the network that each user must know to gain access to the network. But software and equipment available to the general public was easily able to crack this wireless internet security system as well.
So What Works?
In response to the deficiencies of WEP the Wi-Fi Alliance created WAP which stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access. Many of the new wireless routers made today offer an option for using WAP and recently there was a release of an update to WAP called WAP2. WAP uses a long sequence of symbols that make it virtually impossible to crack. In previous ESSID systems the user would input a short password or code and these systems were easily bypassed. The WAP system incorporates all of the compliances with the most recent IEEE 802.11i standards which is the standard used for wireless internet security. What helps make the WAP effective, aside from its compliance with all of the current IEEE 802.11i safety standards, is the 6 character or more password required to use the system. This is able to hold off anyone wishing to steal your wireless internet connection.
Security is a big concern for anyone with a wireless internet connection and you need to make sure you are using the proper security measures. Without the proper security measures someone could be using your wireless internet connection without you knowing it or even stealing your personal information. So protect yourself at all times.
