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VIEW THE STEP-BY-STEP SOLUTION TO: 3-2 Final Project Milestone One: Draft of Project Proposal Jason Wedge Southern New Hampshire University IT-415-X6239 Advanced Info Systems Design…

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3-2 Final Project Milestone One: Draft of Project Proposal

Jason Wedge

Southern New Hampshire University

IT-415-X6239 Advanced Info Systems Design 17EW6

            One IT problem that many people face is setting up and securing a home network. The majority of people are able to setup a router and connect a laptop but many do not understand how vital securing their network is. Without taking precautions, homes will be susceptible to malicious attacks. Some people think that protecting their computer is sufficient but without securing your network, hackers have ways to access your home network through a smart TV and can infect a device on the same network or gain access to files on your computer. If you wouldn’t allow a stranger into your home, you should not allow one on your network.

Many homes and even some businesses go to great lengths to be sure that unauthorized users cannot access their Wi-Fi Network. However, wireless access points can provide hackers with a few convenient ways to access it. This is because Wi-Fi signals are usually broadcast past the walls of a home for up to 300 feet from the router allowing the hackers to get in. (1)

            The goal of this project is to provide easy to follow instructions for anyone who would like to have a home network and what steps they will need to take to be sure their home is secure. One part of this will be to explain what can happen if they leave their network open. Many people are unaware that this would allow a hacker to have access the websites they visit, copy their username and passwords and read their emails. A criminal would be able to send spam or perform illegal activities using their internet connection. Someone could be sitting outside their home and access their internet connection and order weapons or bomb making materials or even access illegal content which would appear that someone in that house had accessed.It is estimated that 27 million Americans have been victim to identity theft since 2012. 9 million of them had their identities stolen in the last year alone and almost 73% of Americans have fallen victim to some form of cyber-crime.(2)

            Many people do not understand that achieving a secure network has no risk and once a wireless router is purchased, the only cost in doing this for the most part is the time it takes. There are a variety of free firewall and antivirus software available that will help keep the cost at a minimum which is helpful to most people. They do have the option of purchasing an antivirus product which offers more options than standard free versions.

            Educating the user on creating complex passwords is another vital step that I will address. Most routers have a default password of “admin” that I strongly suggest being changed to a complex password upon initial set up. Creating a complex password that uses a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters as well as numbers and special characters is the most effective way to create a password. A simple lowercase 7-character password can be hacked by an expert in under a second, however, a lowercase 9-character password would take about 5 days to hack. (3)I do not suggest creating simple, lowercase passwords. One method I suggest to create a complex password is putting random numbers, letters and characters on separate pieces of paper in a bag and choosing 9 of them to create a password. I also suggest the same method to create a different password to access the Wi-Fi.

            Choosing the proper method of securing the network is a key factor many overlook. I would recommend they choose the WPA2 method. It is more secure that WEP as it has a stronger wireless data encryption.

            The benefits of securing a network far outweigh the risks. Implementing security measures and installing the necessary software would take the average person 1-2 hours to configure and test.

            The total cost of a router as well as firewall and antivirus software would cost less than $250.00. This would include a NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router along with Comodo Firewall which includes Firewall, Antivirus, 24/7 Malware Support for up to 3 PCs as well as 24-hour live tech support.

References

  1. Ciarlone, J. (n.d.). Why Keeping Your WiFi Network Secure Is Important. Retrieved July 10, 2017, from https://info.hummingbirdnetworks.com/blog/bid/303317/why-keeping-your-wifi-network-secure-is-important
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