It’s a common misconception that anything wireless is unsafe. Sure, data breaches and hackers are out there and want to steal information. But they generally look for easy targets. Provided your business isn’t one of them, your wireless network and its connected solutions should be safe. 

But just how safe will it be? Here is what you need to know about wireless networks for business purposes and some best practices for making sure yours is as secure as possible.

While Wi-Fi connectivity is generally ubiquitous throughout the workplace, our homes and even in most public spaces where we dine or travel, wireless technology evolved from warehouse and distribution centers. Given the origins of wireless networking, providing reliable wireless connectivity in this environment is not entirely mastered by many businesses in the same way it is in the front offices.

Large open facilities like warehouses, distribution centers and their adjacent yards pose specific challenges coming from the building materials, the distances (and height), interior equipment and infrastructure and the types of wireless devices in use.

In case you missed the news, a vulnerability has been discovered in the wi-fi WPA2 encryption standard. (Some reports refer to it as KRACK – Key Reinstallation Attack.)

If you or anyone at your business uses a smartphone, laptop, or IoT device connected to a Wi-Fi network using WPA2 encryption, the information sent over that network could be at risk. Researchers have found a bug that lets attackers “break” WPA2 – the encryption that protects most wireless networks – leaving data you send exposed.