Been Hacked? You May Have Yourself to BlameHow and where you use WiFi could be an invitation to hackersWiFi is an amazing technology that allows users the freedom to work wherever they want on any device while connecting to servers and the internet without the umbilical cords of traditional networks. In the home it means you and your kids can use your laptop, tablets, and smartphones to access the internet from any place in the house. In the office it makes impromptu meetings that much easier. And when you are out and about, free public access points mean that you do not have to use your phone service's 3G or 4G and save yourself data usage. Understanding the dark side of these conveniences will allow you to protect yourself from hackers and other malicious hazards that can access your device via WiFi.Starting with your home or office WiFi networks, you cannot assume that because they are within the walls of your home or business that they are safe. For the last few years the wireless access points that are used in homes and in small commercial enterprises are powerful enough that the signal can be detected and the hotspot accessed up to 100 yards from its location. And while all of these devices come with password-enabled access measures, many users do not set them up. Establishing and using a password for your home or office WiFi access points is a simple process that can save you and your network users many headaches down the road.Other steps that can be taken to protect your home and office access points and the devices that use them include:Using a firewall - there are many excellent firewalls available, including a few that are free for use for personal devices, which can easily be installed and deployed.Updating the security software on your devices and servers - As with the firewall software, there are applications that offer a wide range of protections for your device that will even prompt you to update the various databases they use to identify threats. For ease of use, the manufacturers of these packages make the database updates automatic.Turn off the WiFi on devices - it really is that simple sometimes. When you leave your home you lock the door so that no one that you do not want in can get in. The same is true of the WiFi in your devices. On smartphones and tablets, keeping the WiFi antenna on and having open apps like social media is an invitation to hackers.What about away from the home or office? Simple. Tell your family members and your employees to avoid using free WiFi hotspots unless it is absolutely necessary. These free hotspots are setup to allow easy access with little concern for your security. In fact, when you access these free hotspots at restaurants or cafés, you will often see a screen with a disclaimer stating this fact along with a check box for you to acknowledge - something many people will click on without thinking. This is especially true of online banking. In fact, whether you are accessing your bank accounts online using a WiFi hotspot, you may be giving hackers access to the very information they most desire. You are better off waiting until you are on a secure WiFi network.
