Quick, tell me what “Wi-Fi” stands for. Yes, yes, I know it’s goofy computer shorthand for wireless networking, but, what does it mean? You have five seconds and there’s a prize involved.
“Wi-Fi” is short for “wireless fidelity,” a term coined sometime around 1999, and used by the Wi-Fi Alliance, the official industry group that certifies wireless computer networking equipment. Someone must have thought that people could relate to it, since it was similar to “hi-fi” and “high fidelity,” audio terms that have been in use for many decades.
Even though the word “fidelity” doesn’t really seem to jive with computing, the term “Wi-Fi” is definitely easier on the brain than the original wireless networking term, “IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence.” At any rate, “Wi-Fi” it is, and its meaning in the common vernacular is “wireless networking.”
The ability to use the Internet without being tethered to a wire is wonderful, but it presents a large list of security concerns. You are, after all, throwing your Internet connection out there through the air be intercepted and possibly abused by anyone within range. Think of it like the public address system at a sports event. Everyone within range of the P.A. can hear the announcer’s voice and, unless he is speaking a foreign language, understand what he is saying.
With this in mind, security should be at the top of your Wi-Fi list. I have witnessed wireless network hacking, and the amount of personal information that can be stolen is downright scary. You want your wireless network to be speaking a foreign language that only you can understand.
The foreign language you want your Wi-Fi network to be speaking is called “encryption.” Without encryption, your information is easy pickings for any crook with basic hacking knowledge. Any information your computer sends, such as login passwords for email, can simply be snagged and stolen. Information entered into forms, such as names, addresses, Social Security and credit card numbers are highly prized by Internet thieves and easy to harvest from insecure, unencrypted Wi-Fi networks.
OK, now brace yourself: I’m getting ready to use some extreme computer terminology. If you want to know what these terms mean, go to Google and look them up. It is not important, though, that you understand this terminology, or the techniques that I describe. It is, however, critically important that whoever sets up your Wi-Fi network understands these things. Be it me, the guy from the phone or cable company, or some other “computer guy/gal,” whoever sets up your network need to understand these things; otherwise, you will not get the secure wireless network you deserve.
There are different types of Wi-Fi encryption, but you want the best, and the best is WPA2-PSK, using AES. A properly setup WPA2-PSK (sometimes called, “WPA2-Personal) network using AES is almost impossible to crack. It’s the “properly setup” part that most people tend to slack off on, but it’s the most critical.
It’s not enough to simply use Wi-Fi gear with WPA2-PSK/AES enabled; you also need to use a long, complex wireless network password. Often, this password is called a “key.” WPA2 technology allows you to use a key between 8 and 63 characters long. You want to use one closer to 63 characters, and follow the rules of strong password construction.
Do not, I repeat, do not use words from any dictionary on earth. The only successful attacks against WPA2 keys are brute-force dictionary attacks against short keys, so, don’t use actual dictionary words and do use long keys. These are important principles.
Don’t freak out, though, it’s not like you’re going to be typing this thing in all the time. You’ll only enter it in once on each piece of equipment, and then you are set. It’s also handy to use a flash drive to transfer this key between computers, so all you have to do is copy and paste the key into the proper place. Once it is in place, forget about it; just be sure to keep a copy handy, somewhere.
The next thing to do is change the default network name, AKA the “SSID.” You want it to something obscure and complex, too. Treat it like a complex password, but, it doesn’t need to be as long as the above-mentioned key. The SSID is used in computing the key hash (more techno geek-speak), so it, too, should never be a word that can be found in any dictionary on earth.
There you have the list of things you want to make sure is followed by whoever sets up your Wi-Fi network. Does it all seem like way too much trouble? How much trouble do you think it is being an identity theft victim? Is your wireless network properly secured? You owe it to yourself to find out.
Next week, we’ll look at the proper use and misuse of free, “open,” unencrypted public Wi-fi networks, and, I promise: a lot less techno geek-speak; sort of.