What Can Wi-Fi Access Control Software Do for Your Data Protection?

Most businesses find that a bring your own device (BYOD) policy helps with productivity and reduces costs of business workstation expenses, but the Wi-Fi installed to support BYOD must be heavily secured. Businesses supporting Wi-Fi internet availability also have guest access for customers to browse the internet while waiting or browsing business products. Managing your Wi-Fi network is as important as managing your internal network.

Why is Wi-Fi Access Control Important?

Monitoring any business network for activity and potential suspicious traffic stops threats before they can become a data breach. Guest networks are especially vulnerable to threats if monitoring and security aren't set up correctly. Wi-Fi access control software lets you monitor Wi-Fi usage and identify any suspicious connections.

Administrators should be able to see connections and activity across a Wi-Fi network for both guest and internal access. Logs should be set up on the Wi-Fi network to identify any suspicious activity, but more importantly, administrators should be able to view website traffic. Users without restrictions to internet resources could be browsing dangerous sites hosting malware or inappropriate content unsuitable for corporate purposes.

A secure Wi-Fi network has several “moving parts” including routers, access points, firewalls to block guest networks from the internal network, and the users and traffic that work with the Wi-Fi equipment. Software that monitors activity on the Wi-Fi network helps administrators identify cybersecurity threats much more quickly, and they can identify any websites that should be blocked from corporate usage.

Why is Web Content Filtering Important on Wi-Fi Networks?

Along with Wi-Fi access control software, blocking domains from user access works with monitoring tools to stop users from accessing phishing sites, domains hosting malware, and other nefarious websites used to trick users into divulging sensitive information. Guest Wi-Fi networks are primary targets for hackers and users accessing shady sites without compromising their own internal network. Users can use open guest Wi-Fi to perform malicious activities, and owners of these public access points should monitor and stop these activities.

A web content filter blocks users on both the Wi-Fi guest network and any BYOD networks installed on the internal network from accessing inappropriate sites, phishing sites, or domain hosting malware. The filters protect the internal network, but it also protects any guest networks from malicious users. Products like WebTitan work in the cloud, so managed service providers and local administrators can conveniently and quickly deploy web content filters across their environments.

Administrators can monitor their Wi-Fi networks and then use products such as WebTitan to block content that is dangerous for the corporate environment or users. Guest Wi-Fi users should especially be monitored and content blocked. It's not uncommon for cyber-criminals to seek out public Wi-Fi to use the corporate network to perform illegal activity. Users on public Wi-Fi are also targets for man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, phishing, and malicious drive-by downloads where malware can be installed on their local machines.

Wi-Fi can be beneficial for internal users for their BYOD, but user devices are difficult for administrators to manage and control. Users could have devices with outdated software, no antimalware installed, or known vulnerabilities. The known vulnerabilities can lead to a compromised user device with access to the local network. Devices with eavesdropping malware can steal data from the internal environment or take steps to deploy ransomware. With the right attack, the corporate environment could be vulnerable to numerous threats with just one vulnerable device connected to a corporate Wi-Fi access point.

DNS-based content filtering with WebTitan blocks user browsers from loading a malicious page so that administrators don’t need to rely on antivirus to catch malware downloads

Help Stay Compliant with Content Access Controls

Web content filters, Wi-Fi, and access control software also help corporations comply with various regulatory requirements. Most regulatory standards require corporations to do everything possible to protect user data and keep their data private. One data breach can cost millions, and it only takes one user vulnerability to allow malware on the network. One user with unfettered access to the internet can accidentally or intentionally divulge private data to cyber-criminals.

Corporations can stop numerous human errors and insider threats with web content filters like WebTitan. Data breaches from human errors are costly, but the fees associated with compliance violations are even more expensive. Several compliance regulations have strict requirements for organizations suffering from data breaches. HIPAA, GDPR, CPRA, and PCI are just a few strict guidelines that require organizations to immediately report data breaches to the public and conduct investigations.

If investigations into a data breach find any corporate infrastructure non-compliant, it can mean years of litigation and fines. Users can bring class-action lawsuits to the reparations and legal fees list, adding to corporate financial responsibility. With Wi-Fi access control software, the malicious websites that might be the start of a data breach are blocked from user view. 

After a user on the Wi-Fi network attempts to access a blocked site, the user and the site get logged into the access control software where administrators can review activity. Receiving reports identifying malicious domain names blocked using web content filters helps administrators educate users on their web browsing habits. Some malware connects to malicious domains where command and control applications run for threat actors. Continuous attempts to access these domains would tell network administrators that specific users might have malware installed on their devices.

The monitoring and blocking of malicious domains align with compliance regulations that require corporations to monitor user activity on the network. Regulations, including HIPAA, require corporations to monitor their network and take quick action to contain and eradicate threats. Using Wi-Fi access control software gives corporations a method for complying with this requirement, and any audits will note that the corporation does indeed do what is necessary to monitor and block common cyber threats.

How WebTitan Can Help Protect Your Wi-Fi Access Points

The TitanHQ WebTitan product is a cloud-based web filtering software that integrates with Wi-Fi access points providing administrators with the access tools necessary to monitor and block malicious domain content. It’s a DNS-based web filter that blocks domains when user browsers or devices within the network connection to any website or domain on the internet. 

Because WebTitan is cloud-based, administrators no longer need to manually update the software or keep the blacklisted domains up to date. TitanHQ automatically updates the software, preserving administrator settings and providing blacklist and whitelist options for manual domain access for specific use cases.

WebTitan helps businesses with the following:

• Business Email Compromise (BEC): Stop CEO scams and threats from hacked email accounts.
• Malware: Users no longer access domains where they can download malicious executables.
• Malicious macros from Office documents: Malware cannot access domains or command and control servers.
• Ransomware: WebTitan blocks any ransomware communication with central control servers where key exchange happens and stolen data is sent.
• Inappropriate content: Adult sites, gambling, gaming, and other inappropriate content can be blocked manually or using category settings.

The WebTitan reports let stakeholders and administrators gauge the effectiveness of the Wi-Fi access control software to provide investors with tangible benefits for the business. A web-based attack can cost millions in litigation, incident response, and long-term customer loyalty loss. The WebTitan product can stop monetary damage and provide an effective way to block malicious domains in just a few minutes of deployment. WebTitan’s support is rated well, and clients say that TitanHQ support helps with any deployment or maintenance issues so that any business can have web filters installed quickly.

To find out what WebTitan can do for you, check out the WebTitan product page, or start a free trial today.