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BEST PRACTICES <<


                                                                                                       [ BY LOCKNET ]









                                  IS YOUR WIFI SECURE?







      WIFI has become a service that         Best Practice Recommendations:
      businesses can’t be without              1     Be Sure to Change Default Login Credentials.  WIFI devices will come with
                                                    default login credentials to allow the owner to initially configure their device for
      in order to remain competitive,               their network. These credentials represent a major security risk as they rarely differ
      especially those that are in the       between devices. Anyone with a list of default credentials can log on to your WIFI devices if
                                             they haven’t been changed.  It’s important to note that these credentials can be easily found
      service industry.  Recent studies      online!

      have shown that complimentary
      access to the internet is more           2    Keep Your Guest WIFI Separate From the Rest of Your Network.  Most
                                                    businesses provide a guest WIFI network for visitors or staff to access with their
      important to millennials than                 own devices.  It’s important to make sure that guest WIFI networks are kept
      anything else and can be a top         separate from the rest of your network. Segmenting with firewalls also helps to ramp up the
                                             defenses between your sensitive data and external breaches.
      “deal breaker” in their decision
      making process.  But WIFI is a                Use a VPN.  A virtual private network (VPN) provides additional security to your WIFI
      proven attack vector for hackers         3    network. A VPN server will hide all of the connection details of PCs and devices on
                                                    your network, so this makes it significantly harder for hackers to find a flaw in your
      so security is critically important    defenses.  This is especially important for businesses such as hotels, coffee shops and other

      when it comes to wireless              shared WIFI locations.
      networks.                                     Enable WPA2 Encryption.  If your WIFI network is not encrypted then it means
                                               4    that the data being transferred over it is open to external parties.  As a business, it’s
      There are a number of ways                    a given that the data transferred over your network will be sensitive e.g. customer
                                             details, payroll information and emails. By enabling WPA2 encryption on your network, it will
      that you can ensure that your          guarantee that your data will be scrambled as its transmitted. As a result, anyone ‘listening in’
      WIFI network remains secure            will be unable to exploit the data.
      so you can keep hackers out
                                                    Stay on Top of Updates.  Your WIFI’s device should receive firmware updates
      while enjoying the mobility and          5    regularly to improve performance and, more importantly, patch any potential security

      productivity that a wireless                  issues. Unfortunately, many businesses put these updates on the back burner
                                             as the installation processes and necessary reboots are bothersome. However, they pale in
      network provides.
                                             comparison to your WIFI network being compromised.

                                             There’s no getting around the fact that offering WIFI to your business and your customers
                                             provides benefits, however it comes with risks.  Being proactive and vigilant can help you reap
                                             both benefits and peace of mind.

                                              Need help with WIFI? Locknet offers one as part of our Blockade product suite.
                                                                                               ®
                                              Contact your Locknet Account Executive today at 844.365.4968



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