PC Security

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How to Use Your Office LAN to Protect Your Data

Local Area Networks or LANs have provided a lot of convenience for offices. Now, people do not have to run about the workplace just to send notes, or even reports to their colleagues and bosses. However, the office LAN can also be a means for one to lose privacy and it is thus important to know how to use it and protect your data.

The office LAN allows people to conveniently send and receive data to each other and even access particular computers without having to move around. But this also makes it convenient for confidential data to be accessed by prying eyes within and without the workplace.

Here are some tips on how to use your office LAN while still protecting your data:

1. Modify the default network name or SSID of your LAN. Hackers already know usual SSIDs of most leading LAN routers and thus they could easily gain access your own office network. Changing the network name is one easy step to make it more difficult for hackers to do their job.

2. Change your network administrator password frequently. Hackers also know the default authentication information for most LAN hardware and it is thus important not to let them take advantage of this.

3. Activate the highest security level for your office LAN. Hackers will have a more difficult time getting through your data when you set your LAN to the highest security level.

4. Keep your LAN hardware up-to-date. Normally, your office network hardware manufacturer would post upgrades and updates on their websites. You would want to take advantage of these things as they help boost your network security.

5. Think about using media-access control. By implementing this system, you can control which particular computers may access particular parts of the network. You would have control over who would be able to gain particular data saved in particular places.

6. If you are using a wireless router, try to place it as nearest to the center of your office as possible so that people outside the building or people in other floors may not be able to pick up your signal.

7. Disable your print and file sharing on the computer when you are not using it. It may be easier to just have it on all the time, but that makes you vulnerable to people who might want to see your shared files without your permission.

It is easy to be victimized by prying eyes with the very convenient office LAN. But you can keep yourself protected if you know how to use it properly.