Have you ever had your identity compromised or stolen?  Do you know someone who has?  How did the bad guys get their hands on that information.  Believe it or not, you may have "virtually" handed it to them.  Let's discuss securing your wireless network.  Whether home or business - large or small - your wireless network needs to be protected.  And not only your network, but your wireless devices need to be protected as well.

The vast majority of computer users now have at least one high-speed wireless internet access point available to them.  Many also have at least two - one at home and one at the office.  Add to this the number of free, unencrypted wireless access points available (McDonald's, Krystal, Starbucks, and other locations) and the number of WiFi access points available to users is quite large.  Did you know  a malicious user can "sniff" your information right out of the air if you are connecting to an unencrypted (free) wireless access point?  Absolutely!  If you are connected to the internet via a WiFi hotspot at your favorite barista and it is not encrypted, you are sending information right through the air in plain text, allowing anyone with the proper software to simply capture it and use it for their own benefit later.

So what can you do?  I'll address 2 different methods of protection: 1) for the network (home or office).; and 2) for the mobile device (laptop, tablet, etc.).

First, your network absolutely needs to have wireless encryption enabled.  This is done from the within the configuration of your wireless device.  I won't go into the various types of encryption, why, or deep technical detail, there are really only 3 points to make here:

1. Having no encryption is a very bad idea;
2. Having WEP encryption is not such a good idea; and
3. Having WPA encryption is a very good idea.

If you are unsure how to do this, ask someone who knows.  Enabling WPA encryption on your WiFi device can save you a lot of heartache in the future.

Next - your devices.  If you are connecting to a network (whether wired or wireless) outside your office or outside your home, you should always have a firewall installed and turned on.  If you are using Microsoft Windows XP or newer, there is a firewall built into the operating system.  Turn it on and use it!  If you are using another operating system (Linux, Mac OS, etc.), you will most likely have to download and turn on a firewall.  Turning on the firewall will help prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to your system and the information in that system.  Again, if you are unsure how to do this, ask someone who knows.

Your personal information is what makes your identity.  Protect it every way possible.