Originally seen as an extravagance, then as an added convenience, most people now expect WiFi internet access to be available almost everywhere – at home, at work and even in public spaces. You may even already have a wireless network in your business that employees connect to for access to in-house servers, cloud services like Office 365, and general internet connectivity.
However, a bad actor in range of your wireless network (outside the building, in an adjacent office or floor, etc.) can also connect if they have the password and have potential access to all machines on your internal network. So, while speed is important, wireless networks should also be reliable and secure for employees as well as guests to your office.
Primary Office Wireless Network Security
Your main office wireless network should only be used by your employees and only with approved devices. The same network that your computers, tablets, laptops, servers, and other equipment runs on should be completely segregated so only approved devices and employees have access. This helps to protect your network infrastructure and the sensitive data stored in it.
A single wireless password given to all users is a security risk because anyone who gets the password has access to your internal network. You should ensure internal wireless passwords are never given to guests or anyone else and consider switching to alternate and more secure authentication methods like RADIUS, which uses the user’s email address and password to connect to your internal network.
Using A Separate Wireless Guest Network
Guest wireless networks can be configured on the same wireless access points with your main wireless network to provide basic internet access for visitors to your office, all while maintaining the security of your internal network. User bandwidth usage on this guest network can also be restricted to prevent any guests from streaming video or doing other things to inadvertently cause slow internet speed for the rest of your staff. Depending on your office hours, you may also consider setting time restrictions so unauthorized users can’t access the network when your office is closed.
Deploying a wireless guest network requires more than simply enabling a feature on your wireless access points. If you’d like help, we can start with a network audit and help you establish the security and best practices you need to keep your employees and visitors safe and productive.
Please give us a call at 888-REBOOT8 to get the process started.