FTC FACTS for Consumers

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OMMISSION

Securing Your 

Wireless Network

ncreasingly, computer users interested in convenience and mobility are accessing 

the Internet wirelessly. Today, business travelers use wireless laptops to stay in 

touch with the home office; vacationers beam snapshots to friends while still on holiday; and 

shoppers place orders from the comfort of their couches. A wireless network can connect 

computers in different parts of your home or business without a tangle of cords and enable 

you to work on a laptop anywhere within the network’s range.

Going wireless generally requires a broadband Internet connection into your home, called 

an “access point,” like a cable or DSL line that runs into a modem. To set up the wireless 

network, you connect the access point to a wireless router that broadcasts a signal through 

the air, sometimes as far as several hundred feet. Any computer within range that’s equipped 

with a wireless client card can pull the signal from the air and gain access to the Internet.

The downside of a wireless network is that, unless you take certain precautions, anyone 

with a wireless-ready computer can use your network. That means your neighbors, or even 

hackers lurking nearby, could “piggyback” on your network, or even access the information 

on your computer. And if an unauthorized person uses your network to commit a crime or 

send spam, the activity can be traced back to your account.

I
Facts for Consumers 

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your wireless network and the computers on it.

PRECAUTIONARY STEPS

1. Use encryption. The most effective way to 

secure your wireless network from intruders 

is to encrypt, or scramble, communications 

over the network. Most wireless routers, 

access points, and base stations have a built-in 

encryption mechanism. If your wireless router 

doesn’t have an encryption feature, consider 

getting one that does.

 Manufacturers often deliver wireless routers 

with the encryption feature turned off. You 

must turn it on. The directions that come 

with your wireless router should explain how 

to do that. If they don’t, check the router 

manufacturer’s website. 

 Two main types of encryption are available: 

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and Wired 

Equivalent Privacy (WEP). Your computer, 

router, and other equipment must use the same 

encryption. WPA is stronger; use it if you 

have a choice. It should protect you against 

most hackers.

 Some older routers use only WEP encryption, 

which is better than no encryption. It should 

protect your wireless network against 

accidental intrusions by neighbors or attacks 

by less-sophisticated hackers. If you use WEP 

encryption, set it to the highest security level 

available.

2. Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, 

and a firewall. Computers on a wireless 

network need the same protections as any 

computer connected to the Internet. Install 

anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and keep 

them up-to-date. If your firewall was shipped 

in the “off” mode, turn it on.

3. Turn off identifier broadcasting. Most 

wireless routers have a mechanism called 

identifier broadcasting. It sends out a signal 

to any device in the vicinity announcing its 

presence. You don’t need to broadcast this 

information if the person using the network 

already knows it is there. Hackers can 

use identifier broadcasting to home in on 

vulnerable wireless networks. Disable the 

identifier broadcasting mechanism if your 

wireless router allows it.

4. Change the identifier on your router from 

the default. The identifier for your router is 

likely to be a standard, default ID assigned 

by the manufacturer to all hardware of that 

model. Even if your router is not broadcasting 

its identifier to the world, hackers know the 

default IDs and can use them to try to access 

your network. Change your identifier to 

something only you know, and remember 

to configure the same unique ID into your 

wireless router and your computer so they can 

communicate. Use a password that’s at least 

10 characters long: The longer your password, 

the harder it is for hackers to break.

5. Change your router’s pre-set password for 

administration. The manufacturer of your 

wireless router probably assigned it a standard 

default password that allows you to set up and 

operate the router. Hackers know these default 

passwords, so change it to something only you 

know. The longer the password, the tougher it 

is to crack.
Facts for Consumers

6. Allow only specific computers to access 

your wireless network. Every computer 

that is able to communicate with a network 

is assigned its own unique Media Access 

Control (MAC) address. Wireless routers 

usually have a mechanism to allow only 

devices with particular MAC addresses 

access to the network. Some hackers have 

mimicked MAC addresses, so don’t rely on 

this step alone.

7. Turn off your wireless network when you 

know you won’t use it. Hackers cannot 

access a wireless router when it is shut 

down. If you turn the router off when you’re 

not using it, you limit the amount of time 

that it is susceptible to a hack.

8. Don’t assume that public “hot spots” are 

secure. Many cafés, hotels, airports, and 

other public establishments offer wireless 

networks for their customers’ use. These 

“hot spots” are convenient, but they may not 

be secure. Ask the proprietor what security 

measures are in place. 

 Be careful about the information you access 

or send from a public wireless network. To 

be on the safe side, you may want to assume 

that other people can access any information 

you see or send over a public wireless 

network. Unless you can verify that a hot 

spot has effective security measures in place, 

it may be best to avoid sending or receiving 

sensitive information over that network. 

GLOSSARY

Encryption: The scrambling of data into 

a secret code that can be read only by 

software set to decode the information.

Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID):

The name a manufacturer assigns to a 

router. It may be a standard, default 

name assigned by the manufacturer to all 

hardware of that model. Users can improve 

security by changing to a unique name. 

Similar to a Service Set Identifier (SSID).

Firewall: Hardware or software designed 

to keep hackers from using your computer 

to send personal information without your 

permission. Firewalls watch for outside 

attempts to access your system and block 

communications to and from sources you 

don’t permit.

Media Access Control (MAC) Address:

A unique number that the manufacturer 

assigns to each computer or other device in 

a network.

Router: A device that connects two or more 

networks. A router finds the best path for 

forwarding information across the networks.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP): A 

security protocol that encrypts data sent to 

and from wireless devices within a network. 

Not as strong as WPA encryption.

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA): A security 

protocol developed to fix flaws in WEP. 

Encrypts data sent to and from wireless 

devices within a network.

Wireless Network: A method of connecting 

a computer to other computers or to the 

Internet without linking them by cables.
Facts for Consumers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) works 

for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, 

deceptive, and unfair business practices in 

the marketplace and to provide information to 

help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. 

To file a complaint or to get free information 

on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call tollfree, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); 

TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters 

Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and 

other fraud-related complaints into Consumer 

Sentinel, a secure, online database available 

to hundreds of civil and criminal law 

enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

1-877-FTC-HELP FOR THE CONSUMER

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ftc.gov

March 2006

Federal Trade Commission

Bureau of Consumer Protection

Office of Consumer and Business Education