Does your church use a wireless network? Many do, and it’s a useful tool for connecting staff members, giving web access to committee members as they meet, and so on. Many of us have it in our homes, too.
This article in the New York Times Technology section has some good tips on wi-fi security. If you have not already, be sure to turn on the security that comes with your wireless router. If your internet provider installs and supports your router, they will most likely do that as a part of the service they are providing, but if your church puts it in yourselves, you will need to turn on the security.
The security technology called WPA2 is the newest one on routers and recommended as the most secure. Your router will come with step-by-step instructions on how to set up the WPA2 password. If you’ve lost the instructions, Google the model and make and you should be able to find online instructions or, if needed, the manufacturer’s customer support contact information.
As the article notes, you will want to use a password that is at least 8 characters long and has upper and lower case letters, some symbols or numbers. Don’t use any identifying information such as the church’s address or name, in fact don’t use any actual words, and, as the article also states, “If need be, write your complicated, impossible-to-remember password down and stash it in a locked drawer or somewhere else secure.” Since you are protecting yourself from people on the outside using the wireless, having the password written down is not too terrible of a security risk.
Like pretty much any technology, wi-fi can be used for good or bad so it’s a good idea to protect your church as much as possible.
