5 Ways Your Home Wifi Can Be Hacked

Wireless Networking (Wi-Fi) has made it so easy for anyone to use Internet on your computer, mobile phones, tablets and other wireless devices anywhere in the house without the clutter of cables. With traditional wired networks, it is extremely difficult for someone to steal your bandwidth but the big problem with wireless signals is that others can access the Internet using your broadband connection even while they are in a neighboring building or sitting in a car that’s parked outside your apartment.

This practice, also known as piggybacking, is bad for three reasons:

• It will increase your monthly Internet bill especially when you have to pay per byte of data transfer.
• It will decrease your Internet access speed since you are now sharing the same internet connection with other users.
• It can create a security hazard* as others may hack your computers and access your personal files through your own wireless network.

You home WiFi is probably vulnerable, too. Here’s why.

1. Many routers, in spite of having multiple security options, are set by default to WEP protection. This method of security sends out patterns through your network that make it easy as pie for anyone to snatch your WiFi password literally out of thin air.
2. You can set your router to only recognize certain devices (this is called whitelisting or MAC address filtering), but savvy neighbors can detect and mirror that network address with an application called "Wireshark".
3. Your password is too easy. Even with the most advanced connectivity options, free “brute hacking” software can guess your password in a matter of hours by running thousands of varying number and dictionary combinations against the computer database until it guesses the right code. And if you used the default WiFi password that was on your router when you bought it? Yeah..those are totally published on Google.
4. People are gullible. All it takes is one visitor in your home to click a suspicious link and they’ve opened a virtual back door to your home WiFi.
5. You’re forgetful. Ever sell an old phone on eBay or ditch an outdated router at a garage sale? If you didn’t do a hard wipe of all the system’s data, you’ve exposed your family’s personal information to random people on the street.

How to Secure Your Wireless Network:

The good news is that it is not very hard to make your wireless network secure, which will both prevent others from stealing your internet and will also prevent hackers from taking control of your computers through your own wireless network.

Here a few simple things that you should to secure your wireless network:

1. Change your Network’s SSID name:The SSID (or Wireless Network Name) of your Wireless Router is usually pre-defined as “default” or is set as the brand name of the router (e.g., linksys). Although this will not make your network inherently* more secure, changing the SSID name of your network is a good idea as it will make it more obvious for others to know which network they are connecting to.
   This setting is usually under the basic wireless settings in your router’s settings page. Once this is set, you will always be sure that you are connecting to the correct Wireless network even if there are multiple wireless networks in your area. Don’t use your name, home address or other personal information in the SSID name.
2. Use Encryption on Your Wireless Network:Once you go wireless, you should encrypt the information you send over your wireless network, so that nearby attackers can’t eavesdrop on these communications. Encryption scrambles the information you send into a code so that it’s not accessible to others. Using encryption is the most effective way to secure your network from intruders.
   Two main types of encryption are available for this purpose: Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). Your computer, router, and other equipment must use the same encryption. WPA2 is strongest; use it if you have a choice. It should protect you against most hackers. Some older routers use only WEP encryption, which likely won’t protect you from some common hacking programs. Consider buying a new router with WPA2 capability.
   Wireless routers often come with the encryption feature turned off. You must turn it on. The directions that come with your router should explain how. If they don't, check the company’s website.
3. Choose a strong password:Change your password from a default supplied with the router. Make sure you use a password which is easy for you to remember but would be difficult for a stranger to guess, and preferably something with a combination of letters and numbers. Avoid using something obvious such as the name of your street.
4. Hide your network ID:A router broadcasts its SSID to anyone within range. You can alter the router settings to not broadcast the SSID and therefore avoid alerting hackers to the network’s existence.
5. Check that your device does not auto-connect to Wi-Fi signals:If your device is set to automatically connect to available open Wi-Fi networks, then you run the risk of automatically connecting to unknown and potentially dangerous networks. You should switch off auto-connect on your device settings page – refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for more details.
6. Reduce the Range of the Wireless Signal:If your wireless router has a high range but you are staying in a small studio apartment, you can consider decreasing the signal range by either changing the mode of your router to 802.11g (instead of 802.11n or 802.11b) or use a different wireless channel.
7.  Use a VPN service:Use a VPN service like Hotspot Shield to secure your data over WiFi connections. This will prevent hackers from accessing personal information like credit cards, birth dates and other data entered into your web browser.

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About Unknown

I’m Kitt katt doing my final year engineering in Information Technology. I’m a passionate, optimistic and dedicated woman who takes up responsibilities with utmost enthusiasm.I love to help others.