How will you make sure that your home wifi setting is is secure?
Below are few home wifi security setting and tips which will make your wifi connection more secure.
- Change the default Administrator Password and user names – At the core of most Wi-Fi home networks is an access point or router. To set up these pieces of equipment, manufacturers provide Web pages that allow owners to enter their network address and account information. These Web tools are protected with a login screen (username and password) so that only the rightful owner can do this. However, for any given piece of equipment, the logins provided are simple and very well-known to hackers on the Internet. You should change these settings immediately.
- Use Strong Password – If you use a strong password, probability of cracking the password throug brute force is very low. Use sufficiently strong password.
- Do not broadcast your SSID – Serious security crackers who know what they are doing will not be deterred by a hidden SSID — the “name” you give your wireless network. Configuring your wireless router so that it does not broadcast your SSID does not provide “real” security, but it does help play the “low hanging fruit” game pretty well. A lot of lower-tier security crackers and mobile malicious code like botnet worms will scan for easily discovered information about networks and computers, and attack those that have characteristics that make them appear easy to compromise. One of those is a broadcast SSID, and you can cut down on the amount of traffic your network gets from people trying to exploit vulnerabilities on random networks by hiding your SSID. Most commercial grade router/firewall devices provide a setting for this.
- Use good wireless encryption – WEP is not exactly “good” encryption. With a freely available tool like aircrack, you can sniff wireless traffic protected by WEP and crack security on that network in a matter of minutes. WPA is the current, common encryption standard you should probably be using — though, of course, you should use something stronger as soon as it becomes available to you.
- Use mac address filter -Many will tell you that MAC address restriction does not provide real protection. You can spoof your MAC address. For more information on MAC address spoofing click here. It is like hiding your wireless network’s SSID, restricting the MAC addresses allowed to connect to the network helps ensure you are not one of the “low hanging fruits” that people prefer to attack.
- Reduce the router signal strength – Most of the routers provide option to reduce the signal strength. You can take advantage of this and prevent your signal reaching neighbours.
- Switch off your wifi when not in use – If you are not using wifi, switch it off. It will additionally save electricity.