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Leaving your Wi-Fi network unsecured exposes your home to a range of risks. Hackers can easily connect to your Wi-Fi if it's not password-protected or encrypted. Securing your Wi-Fi network is the first step toward ensuring that you are not exposing yourself to these risks.
Your home Wi-Fi network is the backbone of all your connected devices, smartphones, laptops, tablets, smart TVs, and even IoT devices like security cameras and thermostats. An unsecured Wi-Fi network can be exploited by hackers, giving them access to your sensitive information, like bank details, personal emails, and passwords. Moreover, cybercriminals may use your Wi-Fi network for malicious activities such as launching attacks or distributing malware.
Key reasons to secure your home Wi-Fi:
Your Wi-Fi is probably the most important piece of equipment in your residents. It allows all incoming and outgoing traffic via the Internet, making sure that nothing dangerous comes in and nothing sensitive goes out. This controls access to your network as well as all of your phones, tablets, laptops, computers and more. If someone gains access to your network. Whether it be a hacker or even your next door neighbor. All your devices can be compromised.
We live in the age of data breaches, ransomware attacks, and many other online threats. You should be knowledgeable about the security of your Network and take all the needed security measures to increase your Wi-Fi security.
Most all hackers seek out unsecured networks because this makes their job easier to gain access to scan your traffic and to find sensitive information, find your passwords, access your other devices or even worse find your home address
This also can give Hackers even more options. They can turn your Wi-Fi into a part of their Botnet to hide their illegal activities, use it for Crypto Mining, or passively monitor your traffic with continuously running scripts. And if the Authorities track down this type of activity, guess where they trace it back to
Yes You.
Network security can sometimes feel intimidating, especially if you’re not a computer geek. But it’s easier to secure your Wi-Fi connection than you imagine.
First, you should change your Wi-Fi password. This is the basic and probably the best security method that helps to prevent unauthorized access. Keeping the factory default or having no password is like having a public Wi-Fi that anyone and his brother can use it just by connecting to it
Change it to a good password using these tips.
All Routers come with factory default settings, SSIDs (your network name), and other details that hackers can easily find online. Change anything you can that will not affect the actual functionality of your router. Especially change that default password to a strong password.
You can even improve the Routers security even more by "Filtering the MAC Addresses". This makes it almost impossible for other devices whose MAC address has not been added to your Network to actually connect to you.
Your SSID is broadcasting all the time. This makes it easier for a new device to find and connect to your Wi-Fi. But it will make it equally easy for hackers to find it too. These broadcasts can be easily scanned and transformed into heat maps that show where certain networks are. These maps are readily available to average users or even stalkers.
You can turn off this SSID broadcasting to protect your home network. Disabling your SSID will mean that you will have to manually enter your Wi-Fi name when looking for your Wi-Fi network.
Most Routers have the protocol UPnP enabled by default. "Universal Plug and Play" will help external devices connect automatically and find other devices on your network
But this also could present many vulnerabilities, as your router will not question whether connections coming from the UPnP protocol are trustworthy. Hackers can use a UPnP connection to connect to your network. Downside is without UPnP, you will have to manually configure port forwarding. However, this will improve your overall network security.
Regularly checking which devices are connected to your Wi-Fi network is essential for detecting any unauthorized users. Most routers allow you to view a list of connected devices in the admin panel.
Steps to monitor connected devices:
Most Routers are vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting attacks. These are difficult to defend yourself from, as they target the websites you visit rather than your Router or Wi-Fi itself. Most Browsers save your log-in info so you can log in easily the next time you visit that site. If you forget to log out of your Router’s "Admin Web Interface" hackers can use it to gain your login details and breach your network.
You can also encrypt your router. You can do this by going to your router’s security settings and find the "Encryption" section. It is always recommended to use at least WPA2. And at least use WEP encryption.
You can set up your router through your Browser. Enter your Router’s IP address into the Address Bar of your Browser. You should only be able to do this when connected to your local network. But some routers offer Remote Access, this means you can alter a router’s settings even from anywhere
NOTE: If this feature is enabled, hackers may be able to access your Router without credentials, user-name or password
To turn this option off, open your router’s web interface and look for the "Remote Access", "Remote Administration", or "Remote Management" feature. Most routers will have it disabled by default. Is yours?.
Using Windows? Most of us are. Make sure the firewall is turned on. It will filter and block potentially harmful programs from communicating with your device and will protect your network. You can check whether it is on by typing "firewall" in the search bar, click on "Windows Defender Firewall", and see if Windows Defender Firewall is "Connected". If it is not, on the left side, click on "Turn Windows Defender Firewall On or Off".
The software that runs your Wi-Fi router is like any other software, and it needs to be updated. Router manufacturers tend to issue firmware updates to patch security holes that old software might have. Most Router will not remind you to do this the way other programs do. To check whether you need to update your firmware, go to your router’s web interface. Most routers will indicate when the software was updated last and whether there is a new version.
This step will actually secure your devices AFTER they connect to your Wi-Fi, not in the local area while they connect. Enabling a Virtual Private Network with your router may have trade-offs, but it will make every device that connects to your Wi-Fi more secure.
Securing your home Wi-Fi network is a critical step in protecting your personal information and ensuring that your devices are safe from intruders. By following the steps outlined in this guide—changing default router settings, using strong encryption, creating a robust password, and regularly updating your router’s firmware, ou can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access to your network. Additionally, using features like guest networks, VPNs, and firewalls further enhances your network’s security.
Remember, your home Wi-Fi is the entry point to your digital life. Make sure it is protected with the latest security measures to keep your data safe and your network secure.
By implementing these strategies, you can enjoy the convenience of modern technology without compromising your security.
A guest blogger hailing from Switzerland, dedicated to assisting local companies in expanding their reach from regional to national and international levels. With a proven track record in...
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