Securing Wireless Networks from Cyber Attacks
Wireless technology has long been standard for corporate networks which support the promise of reliable and stable connectivity and the necessary flexibility. Wireless innovators are continually evolving, bringing new solutions into the arena now and then to help companies improve cost-effectively the performance of business processes. Many companies today use some form of wireless technology to experience high-end connectivity, to improve mission-critical application functionality and to make informed decisions in real time. Wi-Fi is a point of entry that hackers can use to enter in the network without setting foot inside a building because wireless services are much more open to eavesdroppers than to wired networks. But for Wi-Fi security, there is a lot more than just a simple password. Time to learn and implement improved security measures can go a long way towards better network protection.
With the Consumer Electronics Show being held in Las Vegas, consumers will be able to withstand an inundation of product announcements for connected devices they didn’t know they want to use. According to market research firm Gartner, by 2020 about 20.4 billion devices will be connected to the internet, up from 8.4 billion in 2017. As recent cyber attacks have shown, many devices are not manufactured in a security point of view. Now Comcast is looking for a new subscription service on the security internet-of-things market.
The xFi Advanced Security offers the existing Comcast Wi-Fi customers a $5.99 per month service designed to monitor all network devices for suspicious activity, block anything when needed, and notify the customer. To subscribe, customers need the Xfinity xFi Advanced Gateway modem of the company, which provides network visibility tools such as parental controls but not active security solutions. When the customer subscribes, nothing needs to be configured, and the service monitors and protects anything connected to the network, in place of programs that protect each device. The Wi-Fi hardware provider Eero provides a similar subscription service. CUJO, an AI-powered network security start-up, provides a fundamental security platform for the Comcast service.
Wi-Fi network hacking continues to threaten the privacy of business data because poor safety practices continue to be used while it can be seen as a way for hackers to control the data. By being aware of the security considerations and applying best practices, companies can prevent attackers from exploiting vulnerabilities in wireless links.