| Andy Taylor, head of products and marketing at internet service provider Nildram, advises small businesses how to ensuring that all data on a wireless network is secure when allowing staff to work remotely. Wireless is becoming an increasingly popular way for businesses to share information and work away form the office. Research has shown that more than a quarter of staff already does some work from home, and this figure seems to be growing faster than ever. Keeping vital information safe is critical for workers on the move, particularly on a wireless network. Wireless offers businesses a flexible Internet connection, to allow workers access to a company network from locations outside the office. As the cost of wireless devices is decreasing, small businesses are now able to have the capabilities of larger organisations at reduced costs. The problem, however, is that wireless devices can be hard to secure. Wireless devices work on a radio signal, where exactly the signal can travel can be difficult to contain, leaving them open to intruders and hackers. All devices need to be secured, not just those in the office, as the weakest link is often when staff take laptops home or access the network remotely. Wireless networks are susceptible to a number of security breaches, including all the problems that affect wired networks. Denial of service (DoS) attacks are just one security issue that wireless users could find themselves faced with. DoS attacks prevent legitimate users from accessing the network and essentially disable your computer network. Numerous simple steps can be taken to protect information on a network and prevent critical information being lost or stolen. These include encryption, firewalls and anti-virus software to protect against malware threats. These are just a few of the simple ways you can ensure all critical data is safe from hackers and viruses. Research by small business website businesslink.gov.uk shows half of all SMEs expect at least one security breach each year. With the consequences of a breach so damaging (not only financially, but businesses can also lose their reputation and the confidence of customers), small businesses really do need to implement the necessary barriers to protect themselves and their data. Anti-Virus software Malware (or malicious software) such as worms and viruses are designed to infiltrate and damage computer systems, often causing loss of data and vital information, along with causing a computer to run extremely slowly. Malware often comes from a file sharing programme or pop up, which once on the system can be hard to get rid of. Installing anti-virus software is one security measure to prevent malware. Keeping this, along with operating systems (i.e. Windows) updated can help block any malicious codes. Encryption This is a process of encoding information so unauthorised users cannot understand it. The intended recipient of the inf... | 
