Cisco Linksys WAP4410N, User Manual

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WAP4410N User Guide 50
Security Threats Facing Wireless Networks
Most wireless networking devices will give you the option of broadcasting the SSID. While this
option may be more convenient, it allows anyone to log into your wireless network. This
includes hackers. So, don’t broadcast the SSID.
Wireless networking products come with a default SSID set by the factory. (The Linksys default
SSID is “linksys”.) Hackers know these defaults and can check these against your network.
Change your SSID to something unique and not something related to your company or the
networking products you use.
Change your SSID regularly so that any hackers who have gained access to your wireless
network will have to start from the beginning in trying to break in.
MAC Addresses. Enable MAC Address filtering. MAC Address filtering will allow you to provide
access to only those wireless nodes with certain MAC Addresses. This makes it harder for a
hacker to access your network with a random MAC Address.
WEP Encryption. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is often looked upon as a cure-all for wireless
security concerns. This is overstating WEP’s ability. Again, this can only provide enough security
to make a hacker’s job more difficult.
There are several ways that WEP can be maximized:
• Use the highest level of encryption possible
• Use “Shared Key” authentication
• Change your WEP key regularly
WPA/WPA2 Personal. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) This method offers two encryption
methods, TKIP and AES, with dynamic encryption keys.
WPA /WPA2 Enterprise. This option requires that your LAN has a RADIUS server for
authentication.
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.
Implementing encryption may have a negative impact on your network’s performance, but if
you are transmitting sensitive data over your network, encryption should be used.
These security recommendations should help keep your mind at ease while you are enjoying
the most flexible and convenient technology Linksys has to offer.
CAUTION: Always remember that each device in your
wireless network MUST use the same encryption method
and encryption key or your wireless network will not
function properly.