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WiFi Security

WLAN or wireless networks have become one of the popular means of Internet communication at home and also at workplaces. WiFi networks enable you to connect your computers to the Internet without messing up your home or office with wires. People have got accustomed to the usage of WiFi network as it has no installation hassles and connectivity issues and you can surf through the net enjoying the comfort of your home.

However this increased easiness also brings increased threats to security along with it.  Bad guys like hackers, identity thieves and even terrorists are on the look out of wireless home networks that are not secured to execute their malicious activities. The National Cyber Crime Cell reveals that the terrorists had hacked the WiFi accounts of innocent citizens to send their bomb threat emails..

It is essentially critical to secure your WiFi networks as many of you are not aware of the perilous outcomes that may occur due to your ignorance. It is easy for perpetrators to access you local network and get your vital information. Moreover they can use your net connection to perform illegal downloads or even sent mail bombs to the government or higher authorities without you having the faintest idea about it.

As it is important to secure your house so that you can safeguard your family and your property from thieves; in the same way you should also secure you network connections to secure your identity. Here are a few tips you need to do which will help you NOT to become an easy target for all those bad guys out there.

Change your Administrator username and password

Normally, the wireless network routers have a default administrator username and password combination set for it which are available online and can be easily retrieved by hackers. They can access your system and modify the configuration of your system unless you fail to change the admin username and password combination.

Turn on the Encryption

All wireless access points support some sort of encryption mechanism. Encryption makes it difficult for hackers to intercept the information when you sent it across Internet. WPA is the most commonly used encryption technology for home devices. The older versions of network access points use WEP encryption. But if someone is able to capture enough data, then it is possible to decipher WEP. Now, the newer versions have upgraded to WPA encryption technology which is flawless.

Do not broadcast yourself

Do not announce your network router identity, also called as SSID (Service Set IDentifier) or network name. It is now possible for modern computers or laptops to list the available wireless networks. This feature was basically designed for business purpose where the business clients may roam in and out of range. As a home user, you will have to disable this feature as the roaming facility may cause unauthorized access to your home network by intruders.

Change the default SSID and password

Normally the SSID (network or router name) is set to a default name by manufacturers at the time of shipping. Intruders find it easy to attach to the access points which have a common SSID or ESSID and password. Always make sure you change your SSID and password to a unique non-dictionary keyword. This can be done in the Administrative Settings panel.

Enable MAC Address filtering

Every network card installed in a PC has a MAC (Media Access Control) address associated to it. The WiFi router has the option to allow access only to those systems whose MAC addresses have been specified to it. You can specify the MAC addresses of your system(s) to the router so the network access is limited only to your devices. The intruders will find it difficult to access your network unless they use advanced MAC spoofing techniques.  

Avoid auto-connect to open networks

Most computers and laptops are normally configured to automatically connect to the nearest available network routers, without alerting the user. This setting may increase your exposure to security threats as you may get connected to other network devices other than yours. Ensure that the auto-connect option is disabled in your device and always manually check for the network connectivity options.

Place your network router in the middle of your house

Positioning of the network router within your home is also important. If you keep the router next to an outer wall, chances are there that the signals might be sent across to several buildings making it easy for intruders to access through your network. Always place the router where there is minimum leakage of signals.

Enable Firewalls on your router

Ensure that the firewall protection in your network router is in the Enabled mode. Most routers have their built-in firewall settings set to Disabled by default. This has been done for various functionality reasons. Turning on the firewall protection will be an added security to your system while not hindering to any of the functionalities. For double security, you may also turn-on the firewall protection in your system (PC or laptop) which is connected to the router.

Switch off the network router when not in use

It is always recommended to turn off your network router when not in use. If you are planning to be away from home for an extended period of time say a vacation or so, you can switch off the router. This will not give the hackers an opportunity to break into your network while you are away.

If you are still not convinced that your network is secure, you may as well disable the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server so that you can statistically configure the IP settings (IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, DNS server settings) for your network router. In addition, always keep track of your logs on your WiFi router to ensure that no intruder is logging into your network.

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