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One Step Ahead

Another tip in a series provided by the Offices of Information Systems & Computing and Audit, Compliance & Privacy.

Make Your Home Wireless Network Secure

The affordability and ease of use of basic wireless access points (WAPs) has prompted many Penn users to set up “hot spots” at home.

•  On each WAP you use, change the default administrator password to a strong password.

•  Change the default SSID, or "name," of each WAP to a unique name of your own choosing.

•  Disable broadcasting of your network name (SSID) to make your network less visible to unauthorized users.

•  Enable and require the strongest encryption that your WAPs offer -- usually 128-bit Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP). This will encrypt all traffic traveling across your wireless network.

•  Regularly check for, and install, updated versions of the firmware for your WAPs and software drivers for your wireless Ethernet adapters.

•  Enable and require MAC (Media Access Control) address filtering on each WAP. This will let you specify which individual computers may access the WAP, identified by the unique MAC addresses associated with their Ethernet adapters. For instructions on locating MAC addresses for Windows and Macintosh computers, please see www.upenn.edu/computing/security/footprints/#locatemac.

 



 
  Almanac, Vol. 52, No. 27, March 28, 2006

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:

Tuesday,
March 28, 2006
Volume 52 Number 27
www.upenn.edu/almanac

 

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