I would like to talk about the dangers of having an unsecured wireless network. An unsecured wireless network requires no password to login, and transmits unencrypted data between computer and router.

If you have an unsecured wireless network at your home or office, an attacker can exploit this weakness in several different ways. In the most friendliest scenario, the attacker will only steal your bandwidth. In other words, they will just use your internet connection and possibly slow it to a crawl. If they download too much, this could potentially lead to additional bandwidth fee’s from your internet service provider. Next, an unsecured wireless network gives a snooper free access to your private files on your computers. Much the same as if the attacker had come into your home and plugged in their laptop with an ethernet cable, an unsecured wireless network is an open door to your private network. Finally in the worst case scenario, a malicious attacker could use your internet connection to mask criminal activity. Illegal activity such as Bank Hacking, Online Scams, Software Piracy, and even Child Pornography could be carried out via your internet connection. Yikes! And when the authorities trace these activities, it all comes back to your IP address! You could wrongfully be on the hook for something committed by an attacker who is already long gone… Scary stuff to be honest.

If you know your wireless network is unsecured, or you are unsure, contact me immediately. Its only $80.00 to have PC Authority Inc. provide your network with a professional security setup. I’m not much of a salesman, and I never push things on people. But this is one of the few computer investments that I always strongly recommend to my clients. The hassle alone that this investment could save you is worth its weight in gold. If you have friends, family, or neighbours that are sitting ducks for a wireless attacker, please give them my contact information. I would be more than glad to help anybody secure their wireless network right on-site!

This entry was posted on Friday, November 14th, 2008 at 1:40 pm and is filed under Computer Hardware. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.