“Is my WiFi protected?” If you experience any of the following, you should pose this inquiry to yourself:
- Extremely slow WiFi
- An increase in bogus antivirus notifications or phishing emails
- Unknown devices logging on to your network
- Installing software without authorization
- Unexpected changes to the Wi-Fi password
- All of a sudden, your router needs a password
Unfortunately, any of these symptoms could point to a hack on your Wi-Fi network. Be alert; educate yourself and make your server virus-protected.
Common Wireless Network Security Threat
Piggybacking
The broadcast range of the majority of wireless routers and wireless access points (WAPs) is 150–300 feet indoors and up to 1,000 feet outside. An unsecured Wi-Fi network can be accessed by any user in this range. A PC and a strong antenna can even be used by more astute users to drive across neighborhoods looking for unprotected wireless networks. Wardriving is a term for this kind of piggybacking.
The issue is that when unapproved users utilize your internet connection, they have the ability to monitor and record your online activity, carry out illicit acts, and steal your private files.
A cracking assault
This Wi-Fi assault takes advantage of a wireless network’s security flaws to gain access by either employing sophisticated (brute force) or simple (brute force) methods. Weak or ineffective security procedures or improper configuration are the usual causes of these vulnerabilities.
A malicious twin assault
Cybercriminals build up their own system to mimic a genuine WAP in this kind of Wi-Fi assault. To trick gullible people into connecting to their system, they, however, utilize a broadcast signal that is stronger than the authentic one.
The cybercriminal can quickly read any data—such as credit card numbers, login credentials, and personal information—that a user transmits over the internet once they are connected to the phony system.
Wireless snooping
Many wireless access points are insecure and do not encrypt the data they transmit. Any data you send across when you connect to these is visible to hostile actors and can be obtained with sniffing tools. Your private correspondence or transactions are jeopardized by this.
Unauthorized use of a computer
Malicious actors can access your device’s contents and folders if you connect it to an insecure WiFi network without turning off file sharing.
How do I secure my Wi-Fi network?
Keep your service set identifier (SSID) private.
The SSID—the default name for your Wi-Fi network—is provided by all routers. The issue is that, if the SSID is left unaltered, an intruder might quickly determine the type of router and take advantage of any known weaknesses. Changing the name of your Wi-Fi network to hide your SSID is an easy yet effective approach to increase router security.
Modify the administrator’s default passwords
Modify the admin passwords that come with your wireless routers and WAPs by default. If you don’t change these default passwords, attackers can exploit them to access your network because they are readily available online.
It is advised by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use a password that consists of a minimum of 20 characters and a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Additionally, the DHS advises routinely changing your password.
Encrypt the network’s data.
Any data being transferred between wireless devices and WAPs should be encrypted. By doing this, you can stop illegal people from accessing your network and seeing it even if they are able to get in.
The following Wi-Fi encryption methods have been created to safeguard data transmitted across wireless networks:
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP): Some extremely old routers continue to use this standard, which was in use from 1994 until 2004. Due to its several well-known security flaws, it is very susceptible to cyberattacks. Configuring it is also a challenge.
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) : While the 802.11i wireless security standard was being developed, this was a stand-in for WEP. Although it’s still simple to breach, it’s easier to configure than WEP.
Wi-Fi Protected Access Version 2 (WPA2): The protocol that is based on the 802.11i wireless security standard is called Wi-Fi Protected Access Version 2 (WPA2). WPA2 employs the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which is authorized by the US government to encrypt top secret data, as opposed to WPA, which uses the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP).
Wi-Fi Protected Access Version 3 (WPA3): Designed to improve connectivity and solve some of WPA2’s problems, WPA3 was released in 2018. WPA3 requires the usage of Protected Management Frames (PMF), in contrast to WPA2. Moreover, the more secure Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) exchange mechanism takes the place of WPA2’s Pre-Shared Key (PSK) protocol.
Use a firewall
A security layer is created between your network and the internet by installing a firewall. This security solution allows or prohibits incoming and outgoing network traffic based on a predefined set of rules. By doing this, you shield your network from harmful traffic such as malware and hackers.
Conclusion
The firmware of your wireless router and WAP has vulnerabilities that can be used by hostile actors, just like any other software. To fix these vulnerabilities, the manufacturers of various network equipment frequently offer updates and patches.
Sadly, the majority of these gadgets lack the ability to update their software automatically, therefore be sure to frequently check the websites of the manufacturers of these devices to see if any patches or updates are available.
