Content type
Pill

Ways to secure your retailer's Wi-Fi network

05 Sep 2022. 15:40
Tiempo lectura
5 min. de lectura
Published by
Imagen colaborador
Logo Acelera pyme
Acelera pyme

Términos de uso

You can use the resource for personal or informative use with attribution to the entity red.es following our terms of use.

Tags

  • SME maturity
    Initial
    Topic
    1. Ciberseguridad
    Scope to digitize
    1. Cybersecurity

Compartir píldora

Entradilla

Securing your business's Wi-Fi network is one of the first measures you should implement to try to mitigate or prevent damage from cybercriminals. Follow these steps to ensure your security!

Imagen o video destacado
Image
Protección de red wifi
Descripción

The advent of Wi-Fi has revolutionised the entire world. Today, we are immersed in a wireless era where it is inconceivable to have a variety of devices interconnected with each other using wires. 

Having a Wi-Fi network avoids location limitations, allowing several devices to be connected to the internet without the need to have a wired installation for each of them. Thanks to this connection system, we can develop our commercial tasks more efficiently and provide a better experience for our customers.

However, as a wireless technology, one of its main drawbacks is its open and accessible nature. These characteristics sometimes mean that anyone within range of the connection can perform malicious acts, so read on to prevent this from happening to your retailer's Wi-Fi network!

 

Measures to protect your business's Wi-Fi network

 

  1. Choose the best security protocol for your network

The different security protocols aim to encrypt the data transmitted on the network and prevent unwanted connections. For this reason, it is important to know the types of protocols that exist to choose the most secure ones that are up to date. We will tell you about them below:

 

  • WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy): is the first and oldest encryption security mechanism. For this reason, this protocol is considered the most obsolete and easy to breach.

 

  • WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access): is a system developed to correct the shortcomings of the previous system (WEP). However, it is susceptible to vulnerabilities if weak passwords are used as a means of protection. For this reason, it is only recommended for use with strong, high-security passwords.

 

  • WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2): was created to correct the shortcomings of the previous system (WPA). It is therefore the most secure protocol currently available.

 

With this information in mind, you may be wondering: how can I find out the security status of my Wi-Fi network?

 

Easy! First, you must log into the network administration portal, entering an address, an ID and the default password. At the bottom of the router, you will be able to access these details. Also, once inside, you will be able to see and choose the type of security you want, and you can even change the password to a stronger one.

 

  1. Change or hide network name

The name that appears when you connect to a network is known as SSID (Service Set Identifier). By using the default SSID, cybercriminals can learn the model and make of the device you are using, which would help them to breach your firewall.

 

  1. Update firmware

Having your devices with updated firmware installed on the router should fix any security flaws that may occur in your network. Information about updates can be found on the manufacturer's website.

 

  1. Uses the WPA2 protocol

As mentioned above, it is the safest of all.

 

  1. Change your Wi-Fi password to a more secure password

Use long passwords, always combining uppercase, lowercase, numbers, letters and special characters. A good security practice is to change your Wi-Fi password frequently.

 

  1. Turn on the firewall

All routers have a firewall included as standard, so it is important to make sure that the router you use in your business has one as well. The firewall will allow you to protect your devices from intruders to prevent them from accessing private information.

 

  1. Restrict your network access

As a security method, you can also restrict access to some devices, with three options available:

  • No restrictions: any equipment with network data will be able to connect.
  • Exclusion list: computers that you include in the exclusion list will not be able to connect, even if they have the network data.
  • Inclusion list: only equipment included in the list will be able to connect.

 

Now that you know the measures to protect your business's Wi-Fi network, here's why it's important to implement them.

 

Why is it important to protect your retailer's Wi-Fi network?

 

  • Wi-Fi is less secure than wired connections because it emits signals that can be intercepted by anyone.
  • The exclusive use of the main Wi-Fi security standard, WPA2, does not provide sufficient protection to guarantee the security of your business. Therefore, you should complement it with other protection mechanisms.
  • High security of your business's confidential information is essential to avoid security breaches that could compromise data not only of your business, but also of your customers.
  • Encrypting and protecting your Wi-Fi network will help you prevent a cybercriminal from using your connection to commit a crime, which could land you in legal trouble.
¿Te ha gustado este contenido?
0
No votes have been submitted yet.