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DRAFT - 6/25/2010
Wireless Security Checklist
Wireless networks are convenient and easy to install, so homes with high-speed Internet
access are adopting them at a rapid pace. Because wireless networking operates by
sending information over radio waves, it can be more vulnerable to intruders than a
traditional wired network. Like signals from your cellular or cordless phones, signals from
your wireless network can also be intercepted. Since you cannot physically prevent
someone from connecting to your wireless network, you need to take some additional
steps to keep your network secure.
1. Change the default wireless network name or SSID
Wireless devices have a default wireless network name or Service Set Identifier (SSID) set
by the factory. This is the name of your wireless network, and can be up to 32 characters
in length. Cisco wireless products use cisco as the default wireless network name. You
should change the wireless network name to something unique to distinguish your
wireless network from other wireless networks that may exist around you, but do not use
personal information (such as your Social Security number) because this information may
be available for anyone to see when browsing for wireless networks.
2. Change the default password
For wireless products such as access points, routers, and gateways, you will be asked for a
password when you want to change their settings. These devices have a default password
set by the factory. The Cisco default password is admin. Hackers know these defaults and
may try to use them to access your wireless device and change your network settings. To
thwart any unauthorized changes, customize the device's password so it will be hard to
guess.
3. Enable MAC address filtering
Cisco routers and gateways give you the ability to enable Media Access Control (MAC)
address filtering. The MAC address is a unique series of numbers and letters assigned to
every networking device. With MAC address filtering enabled, wireless network access is
provided solely for wireless devices with specific MAC addresses. For example, you can
specify the MAC address of each computer in your home so that only those computers can
access your wireless network.
4. Enable encryption
Encryption protects data transmitted over a wireless network. Wi-Fi Protected Access
(WPA/WPA2) and Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP) offer different levels of security for
wireless communication.
A network encrypted with WPA/WPA2 is more secure than a network encrypted with WEP,
because WPA/WPA2 uses dynamic key encryption. To protect the information as it passes
over the airwaves, you should enable the highest level of encryption supported by your
network equipment.
WEP is an older encryption standard and may be the only option available on some older
devices that do not support WPA.
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