Some wireless Internet connections risky

All Internet connections are subject to security threats whether they are via fixed-lines or wireless modems. As the use of wireless mobile devices grows, users should be more aware of security issues. According to Winston Smith, Product Manager at Sentech, security breaches take the form of hacker attacks or viruses as well as the physical loss of mobile devices through carelessness or theft.

"Wireless Internet connections are seemingly more prone to attacks as the air interface is considered to be more vulnerable than that of wired connections," he says.

"Popular WiFi connections are considered to be even less secure and more prone to sniffing - a technique used to detect WiFi connections and gain unauthorised access to the devices or networks connected to them."

Once a network has been infiltrated, data is at risk - this can include a company's financials, employee information and other sensitive material. At best it's an inconvenience, at worst it can cripple an organisation.

Here are some tips on how you can ensure some security to you Internet connection:

If you are connecting to the Internet via a WiFi access point which is connected to the MyWireless modem (Ethernet interface) then ensure that at least the following is done:

* Enable the access security on the wireless access point Set a unique Service Set Identifier (SSID) - do not leave it as default.

* Create an access list on WiFi access point and include only the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of the known users who have rights to access the network - a new security standard such as 802.1X will help to ensure only authorised users are on the network.

* Enable data encryption on the WiFi access point - however an existing encryption protocol called Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP) is largely inadequate as most serious hackers can decode this. It is advisable to use access points are these that have either WPA (WiFi Protected Access) or the most secure currently AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) as standard features, which will provide sufficient protection across the air interface.

* Be aware that hacking attacks are most likely to come from internal sources than from unknown outside intruders.

So, how can people secure their Internet connections whether wired or unwired?

Says Smith: "The first thing to do is to install a software firewall. There are many freeware versions available as well as reliable commercial products. Another important step is to install an anti-virus package and ensure this is regularly updated via the vendor's Web site. Most of them have a scheduler that can be automatically set to check for the latest updates. Do not install software from unknown sources - there are many programs, known as spyware, written specifically to retrieve information from wireless devices."

"It is important to note that connecting to the Internet has the same dangers on a wireless connection as that of a wired connection," adds Smith.

Smith says Sentech's broadband wireless Internet connections are well protected. "MyWireless utilises a 3G technology called UMTS -TDD (Universal Mobile Technology System - Time Division Duplexing) standard. The wireless interface, which is usually vulnerable due to the large area across which the signal is transmitted (up to 6km from a base station) is secured against access from unknown sources.

"Each user is allocated a unique username and password on the radio access network as well as a unique username and password for the IP access. On the IP network the system offers a secure encrypted tunnel (L2TP) connection between the core network, base station and the MyWireless modem.

The radio network is also secure in that the service operates on the licensed and regulated 2.5GHz - 2.7GHz spectrum, which is monitored and maintained to ensure there is no interference from any outside source, unlike that of WiFi which operates on an open unlicensed 2.4Ghz spectrum," he says.