Provide a 50-75 word discussion reply to the following post below.
Security when using wireless networks definitely need to be considered when owning a business. As there are many different types of threats out there, it is important for the business to identify and protect its main assets from becoming damaged, lost, or stolen. “For wireless network security, as with dial-up and DSL, your policy management should define access requirements.” (Phifer, 2003) It should be known who has access and for how long it is needed. A policy will also need to be in place for remote access for outside users. There can be a separate network in place for these travelers or guests. If you are using Wi-Fi, it would be good to only use WPA2 and not WEP. “Even though the option is still available for legacy reasons, avoid WEP encryption as it can be cracked in minutes.” (Mah, 2013) Ultimately, wired ethernet networks are better used for businesses who are extremely concerned about security.
One of the biggest cyber-attacks that happened in 2017 was an Equifax data breach that affected approximately 145.5 million United States consumers. Equifax is a huge agency that completes credit reports. The amount of business they have is tremendous as it is approximately 800 million customers and 88 million businesses across the world. “On July 29, 2017, the company detected and blocked suspicious network activity associated with a web portal used by U.S. consumers to file disputes.” (Calyptix, 2017) This attack showed that there was outdated portal application framework which caused extreme security vulnerability. Equifax was alerted prior to the breach there was a vulnerability in their application, but they failed to do anything about it. A few months after the alert, hackers breached the system and created other backdoors into the system. Ultimately, to avoid this attack, Equifax should have understood the consequences of a vulnerable web portal. The alert should have handled quickly and efficiently. “Equifax’s vulnerability scans, performed seven days after the Apache Struts flaw was public knowledge, did not identify the weakness in its web portal.” (Calyptix, 2017) This makes it extremely important to complete other scans with dissimilar tools instead of relying on only one.
Resources
Phifer, L. (2003, April). WLAN security best practices for wireless network security. Retrieved from https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/WLAN-security-Best-practices-for-wireless-network-security
Mah, P. (2013, December). 8 tips to protect your business wireless network. Retrieved from https://www.pcworld.com/article/2068442/8-tips-to-protect-your-business-wireless-network.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Calyptix. (2017, November 30). Biggest cyber attacks 2017. Retrieved from https://www.calyptix.com/top-threats/biggest-cyber-attacks-2017-happened/
