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<p>Here’s the lowdown on wireless network security with a few points to keep in mind:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Encrypted traffic remains encrypted even across an ‘open’ (e.g. unencrypted) wireless network. By that I mean if you’re accessing a secure website (e.g. https bank website) you’re safe even if the wireless transmissions from your computer are not separately encrypted as those https connections are encrypted the entire path from your computer to the website server. So those who said they don’t do online banking out of security fears… these fears are unnecessary. </p></li>
<li><p>‘Securing’ a wireless network generally means encrypting the traffic that is transmitted wireless between your computer and the router. These days the majority of wireless routers are secured as such… BUT in the majority of these cases people use an encryption technology that is all but worthless. The original encryption technology for routers (WEP) is extremely easy to crack due to some technical flaws in the algorithms used. In short, if you secure your router with WEP and someone wants to break the encryption they can without even breaking a sweat. Again (see above) https secure website connections are still safe so this doesn’t present a huge security risk… but it does mean that someone could gain access to your internet connection if they really wanted to and potentially view data from any non-encrypted websites that you access. However, the chances of this actually happening are very very low… but it is possible. </p></li>
<li><p>If your router password is a short series of hexidecimal characters (e.g. E4 5K …) then you likely have WEP or if your router or laptop says it’s connected using WEP encryption then you have WEP. To properly secure your connection you should consider changing this to one of the more advanced encryption technologies (e.g. WAP). </p></li>
<li><p>In general any private details (e.g. banking details) should be encrypted as a matter of course when accessing websites… if it’s not then reconsider if you want to be using that website. Also, you can typically access other semi-confidential services like gmail over encrypted connections too (e.g. by typing <a href=“https://www.gmail.com%5B/url%5D”>https://www.gmail.com</a>).</p></li>
<li><p>In closing, it’s a good idea to encrypt your router just as part of common sense security but if you’re using WEP (as most are) you should change to something else. If you’re accessing a reputable secure website then your connection should be safe regardless of if the wireless connection is encrypted or not.</p></li>
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