Cisco WUMC710 User Manual - Page 5

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Linksys WUMC710

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

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 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

Change the default password

For wireless products such as access points and routers, 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 Linksys 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

Enable MAC address filtering

Linksys routers 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

Enable encryption

Encryption protects data transmitted over a wireless network Wi-Fi Protected

Access (WPA/WPA2) and Wired Equivalent 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

General Network Security Guidelines

Wireless network security is useless if the underlying network is not secure

Password protect all computers on the network and individually

•

password protect sensitive files

Change passwords on a regular basis

•

Install anti-virus software and personal firewall software

•

Disable file sharing (peer-to-peer) Some applications may open file

•

sharing without your consent and/or knowledge

Wireless Security Checklist