Securing your wireless network from hackers and prowlers

• Increasingly, people are installing wireless, or "Wi-Fi," networks in their homes for the convenience of remote access to the Internet.
• Prices are falling rapidly for wireless access points and wireless routers, which enable you to connect remotely with the Internet.
• Also, most late-model laptops come with Wi-Fi capability built in.
• Finally, most people would rather not have to run new network cables in their homes so that multiple computers can access the Internet.
• But now more than ever, it's important to make sure that the information stored in your computer is secure.
• The "Wired Equivalence Protocol" (WEP) security feature provided on early wireless devices already has been compromised.
• Newer wireless devices are certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, a nonprofit industry standards group, and they use security protocols called WPA or WPA2.
• For an easier and faster setup, most people would rather "plug and play" than use the security features on their wireless networks.
• Wi-Fi products usually have their security turned off by default so that users can get them up and running with little fuss.
• They may not even have a password required for administration of the network.
• If you have financial information stored in your computer or if you use online banking and money management tools, not securing your Wi-Fi leaves your network wide open to computer hackers.
• They can easily connect directly to your network and capture account names, numbers and passwords, or penetrate the computers connected to your network.
• Buy equipment that provides WPA or WPA2 security capability.
• Older equipment may be upgradeable to WPA, so check your manufacturer's Web site.
• Change the admin password, and block or change your network name.
• Use MAC address filtering if your network equipment supports it.