A Network Security Key is a synonym of your WiFi password which is needed to gain access to a wireless network around you. It is a security feature that protects a system, and it protects associated devices from unwanted access and information in any of your devices may it be your cell phone, PC, laptop, etc.
Often we hear about cybercrimes taking place where cybercriminals have hacked important information, private videos or photos, bank accounts, and other personal data and people tend to lose private data, money, and further details from their systems. It leads to severe consequences. A security key feature is a handy tool to protect you. Ensure that you have a vital network security key else it will be effortless for the criminal to crack your key and extract data easily and sell it on the dark web. They are also instances of identity theft which has lead to dire consequences affecting the day-to-day life of the people.
Let us go through types of security keys. The most common among them is Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and WiFi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2)
What is WEP : Â A WEP is a security passcode for devices which are WiFI enabled. WEP keys allow encrypted messages to get exchanged with each other and protecting them from getting decoded easily and read by outsiders. These keys are a sequence of characters from numbers 0 through 9 and the letters A through F. For example, a WEP key could be F54HI88WR3. You can keep this security as long as 10,26 or up to 58 characters long. It depends on which WEP version is running. WEP keys after a time lost public choice as they soon became easy to crack by hackers.
WPA/WPA2: These are more secured version for security key. A WPA comes with a password or passphrase which the owner can reset easily. In case you have a WiFi router at home, the password that you sometimes see on the side is its WPA key.
WPA2 is considered to be a more advanced version of WPA as it uses algorithm AES which is a newer, faster, and more upgraded version than what was previously used. It is a recommended version for businesses that need higher security measures to protect their data and network. But to use this, you will require hardware with higher processing power.
Where to find the Network Security key on Windows 10?
At times your computer asks for a network security key, and you are not aware of where to find it. Usually, the router has the name of the Security essential password stick on it known as SSID. These keys are alphanumeric. In case your computer is already connected to the network, and you do not remember the security key. You can find it by going to set on your computer and follow the below steps if you have Windows 10 installed
- Right-click on the start menu and select ‘Network Connections’
- Select ‘Network and Sharing Center’
- Select the name of your WiFi network
- Click ‘Wireless Properties and then select on the Security tab.’
- Click the “Show Characters” checkbox to reveal your network security key.
Where to find the Network Security key on your MAC?
- Select the search icon on the top right side of your Mac screen
- Search for the phrase “Keychain Access.”
- Once you select, you will get a pop-up, double click on the name of your WiFi network.
- Click on the “Show password” checkbox.
- In case you are using Mac it will ask you to reveal your network security key.
To best utilise this ensure you create a vital network security key. A strong password having a combination of letters will be difficult for hackers to crack. If you have a WPA/WPA2 key to select, consider strengthening; to leverage a better cybersecurity infrastructure.
How to create a secured security key :
Form a habit to save your passwords on a secured app available or in a locked excel sheet. If you have a habit of writing passwords on sticky notes or chits or paper or diary lying on the table; kindly get rid of this immediately as it is perilous. To be more careful, keep changing the passwords every six months to ensure more security. Never save passwords with the letters of your birthdate or your children’s name as it is the first point to crack for a hacker as birthdates, anniversary dates are mostly known to all due to social media usage. Creating passphrases rather than passwords will be more complicated for any hacker to crack. Passphrases involve picking up a meaningful phrase that you can remember and making the first letter of every word the password.
What else can you do?
Keep your antivirus software, Firewalls, and Routers up to date. It is very crucial for businesses and Companies having a vast database. By having an up to date system, the intruders will not be able to poke in; that easily. Firewalls put a virtual wall against inbound and outbound traffic and choose whether to allow or restrict specific traffic to come through.
Some users have become quite vigilant and get antivirus software installed immediately after buying any new system. This software is excellent in scanning incoming files and code for viruses and other malware. Once it is installed, make sure that you keep updating the software from time to time so that it works with efficiency on your system. It may be tiresome updating these frequently. For that, there is an option of auto-update on your security software which pops up to select your convenient time for updating the software when you are not using it. So having an update will work even if you have manually forgotten to correct it.
Friends…cyber security is of utmost importance now than earlier because of the increasing number of cybercrimes. Please do not neglect this area of security before it’s too late. Ensure that all your systems are up to date and having proper security measures enabled and installed. If you have not done, do it right now!!!!
I hope this post would help you understand the need for network security and will push readers who have not yet worked on this area on their systems.
Security data!!! Relaxed Surfing!!!! Ensures carefree usage!!!!
