How to Prevent Wi-Fi Hacking at Your Business

If you aren’t following security best practices for your Wi-Fi network, your business is vulnerable to attacks.

Wi-Fi has become a necessary component of doing business – any business – in today’s world of seamless digital communication. The ability to connect devices to the Internet without wires does have risks, however: While legitimate employees and visitors can use that convenient route to your information, so can unscrupulous hackers. Learning how to prevent hacking is about more than one-and-done efforts; it requires ongoing audits and a knowledgeable, forward-thinking approach to stop problems before they manifest. In some cases, this will mean taking the lead on common-sense prevention methods, and for others, partnering with a skilled cybersecurity team near you to close potential loopholes in your Wi-Fi network’s security.

Wi-Fi Safeguards May Be Required by Law

While no business wants their data compromised, for medical clinics and dental offices it’s likely a legally-enforceable imperative. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), requires that healthcare providers and their administrative staff take “appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the privacy of electronic and non-electronic protected health information.”

Taken into account the massive amounts of medical data communicated and even accumulated through Wi-Fi, there is a definite conflict between the free flow of information and the need to keep it locked down. Some offices concerned with the potential implications of an incorrectly-implemented Wi-Fi network opt to work with a verified cybersecurity company in order to ensure HIPPA Wi-Fi compliance, rather than hoping a staffer is tech-savvy enough to run point on the effort. If you’re not following the law and protecting your data, the time to learn how to do so is now!

How to Prevent Hacking

Protecting your Wi-Fi connections against incoming hackers has the added benefit of ensuring that no one is using your bandwidth externally for illegal purposes. If your Wi-Fi passwords are too easy to guess, or your encryption isn’t deep enough, even offering free Wi-Fi to your customers or office guests can expose you to hacking.

You can help your business avoid cybersecurity risks by engaging in these Wi-Fi best practices:

• Select Wi-Fi passwords with a complex key that includes numbers, symbols, and upper and lower case letters.
• Make a habit of changing your password often to prevent hackers from guessing it.
• Document and control use of the “guest” key for your Wi-Fi network by device, as opposed to posting it publicly in your store or office.
• If you are using a Wi-Fi network for sensitive financial or personal information, consider building two separate networks: one for guest use and one for internal business use.
• If possible, shut down your Wi-Fi router when you are closing your business for the evening; this will prevent unauthorized access overnight or during off hours.

Why Your Cybersecurity Is At Risk

Don’t make the mistake of believing your business is a “small fish” that isn’t worth hacking. Even if your receipts fall on the smaller end of the SMB spectrum, your important data—company information, employee W-2 forms, financial account numbers—can be used to create false identities, apply for fraudulent loans, and much more.

To make sure your small business gets the chance to grow and prosper, stop hackers before they get into your sensitive Wi-Fi networks. Scale provides the digital security and managed IT services you need in Little Rock to protect your business from digital criminals that are waiting to hack, rob, and exploit their way through your bottom line. For more information about how to prevent Wi-Fi hacking, contact Scale at 501-588-3199 today!