How To Increase WIFI Security

Already, you must be familiar with wireless networking as it is pretty essential these days. A stable network connection is a basic requirement when you’re working in the office or from home. Your router is what connects your devices wirelessly to the WiFi network. Not only a wireless connection, but you can connect your devices to that network through the LAN ports also.

The problem starts when too many endpoints are connected through the same network. No matter how diversified usage your wireless network faces, be it printing from multiple computers on a single printer or playing games and doing office work, you must ensure optimum security to your WiFi router. Only in this way, you can prevent any anonymous online attack or data breach. 

Risks of a Wireless Network

Whether it's the home wireless or office network, the risk to an unsecured wireless network is the same. Here we’ve prepared a list below to give you a clear idea regarding the potential online threats to your WiFi. 

Piggybacking

It is crucial to secure your wireless network. If you fail to do so then, any unknown device in the range of your access point could connect to your server and use your internet connection. The access point range for indoor broadcast is 150-300ft, extending to 1000ft for outdoor usage. Those who are living in a closely attached neighborhood or an apartment should consider securing their network. Unintended users could use your network for illegal activities, monitor or capture your web traffic, could steal your vital files too. 

Wardriving

This type of risk is similar to piggybacking. The broadcast range of a wireless access point can make your internet connection available outside your home, even as far away from your street. Many tech-savvy users know that they drive through the cities to enjoy such open networks, making it their hobby. Those users carry laptops or even powerful antennas to steal such unsecured networks, known as wardriving. 

Evil Twin Attacks

An adversary gathers information about a public network access point in an evil twin attack, setting up their system to impersonate it. These types of attacks are implanted to steal your sensitive information like passwords, banking details, etc., by creating fake WiFi access points. 

Unauthorized Computer Access 

An unsecured public wireless network combined with unsecured file-sharing could allow malicious users to access our devices or any directory or files. Ensure that you deny sharing your device and files when you connect it to a public network. Always remember your security will solely depend on your choices and how much access you’re providing to someone who wants to enter your device. 

Shoulder Surfing

For smaller devices such as phones, and tablets be mindful of your surroundings while viewing sensitive information or entering the password in public. There are instances when people viewed a message or an OTP or entered a PIN in public, but that eventually led to a data breach.

Why is it Important to Secure the Wireless Network? 

It is essential to secure our wireless network connection from attacks over the internet by keeping our router secured. Suppose you haven’t put a password on your home wireless network; in that case, any strangers can gain access to your network, personal information, or any sensitive financial information available on your device. That’s why it’s important to secure any WiFi router you’re using. Now, we can describe below how to secure your wireless network.

How to Secure the Home Wireless Network?

Here, we‘ve explained how to protect your WiFi network from hackers or strangers. Go through the complete list, and you’ll learn about all the loopholes where you need to take extra care and protection. 

• Make a Complicated Router Password

Everyone worries about their router password because they won't remember the password; they give a simple password, but a complicated password is impossible to place, but it's very protective for your system security. 

Making a complex Password makes it harder to communicate, and it's also impossible to guess. A WiFi password needs to be 12 or 20 chapters long. We can get one created for us by using a complicated password generator.

• Limit Access to the Password

Although giving our friends and family members access seems reasonable, we should not feel obliged to provide the password for everyone who enters our home. Someone performing a service in my home or property asks for the password to our WiFi, and then we should be prepared to say no. 

Commercial visitors should not need to access your WiFi router to get information on the internet for their work. Their employers should provide them with their data or modem.

• Activate Network Encryption

You could increase the security of your WiFi by following this method, and the network encryption comes with multiple languages, including WEP, WPA, and WAP2. To better understand this term, WPA2 stands for WiFi Protected Access 2. Nowadays, the standard security system is WPA2; if you want, you can encrypt your wireless routers using this WPA2.

• Use a Strong Password 

We strongly recommend disabling your WiFi when you don't use a strong password or any password. Keeping your connection open to the public is not even a thing to consider. That’s why you must use a unique password and keep changing it after a certain period. Alongside, build a habit of turning off the WiFi connection while it’s not in use. In this way, you can protect your WiFi network from strangers or hackers and keep your data or information secured. 

• Change Your Default IP Address on the WiFi

For better security, you can change your default IP address. When you change your IP address, it restricts the hackers from tracking your real IP address down. To alter the IP address of a router, follow these steps-

Step 1: Firstly, you must log into the router's console as an administrator. You'll learn the primary step for connecting the home wireless network to the admin. You'll find the address bar similar to http://192.168.1.1. 

Step 2: Insert the username and password on the login page.

Step 3: Next, you have to go to the menu on the left and select network>Lan. 

Step 4: Change the Ip address to preference, then click save.

Step 5: After changing the IP address, you can also change the DNS server that your wireless router uses to filter the internet traffic.

• Turn Off the DHCP Functionality on the Router

To enhance the WiFi security, we should turn off the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. Instead, we should make use of static addresses and enter your network settings.

• Firewall can Help Secure Your WiFi Network

A firewall is not just a software part of a PC; It acts as a hardware variety. The firewall should protect your pc and WiFi network from various cyber-attacks. The article can help if your router has a firewall built-in and how to activate it. 

Suppose your router does not have one. You can install an excellent firewall device to your router to protect your PC and WiFi network from any strangers or hackers or cyber-attacks.

• Keep the Router’s Security in Mind

Most routers launched in the last couple of years come with excellent protection. They now handle a lot of the critical security settings for you. One of the highest risks of your router is something on your phone or laptop getting access to it and causing some mischief. 

Perhaps it can be accessed remotely by secretly opening an entry point to your router. To minimize this risk, practice good security principles in the home. Keep all devices up to date with the latest software and protect your device with a complex and lengthy password.

• Check for Rogue WiFi Access Points

Rogue access points present a huge security risk. Rogue access point presents a colossal security risk because you have no control over them or how they are configured. 

These programs allow the laptop to sniff the airwaves to detect any wireless traffic traveling to rogue access points and help you identify where they are located.

• Disable Remote Access

Most routers allow you to access their interface only from connected devices. Some of them allow access from a remote system. If you turn off the remote system, they won't access your small privacy settings from your device not connected to your WiFi. To make this change access the web interface and search for Remote access or Remote Administration.

• Disable your Guest Network

The guest network can be a double-edged sword. Suppose your guest network does not have a password. In that case, anyone can connect to your network via a guest network, access your internet, and get your personal information and sensitive data.

For this reason, everybody should disable their guest network. If your guest network has the same security level as your primary network, you can also use your guest network. Otherwise, disable it, and if you don't trust your friends, change the passphrase when they leave.

• Turn off Network Name Broadcasting

When using a wireless router at home, it's highly recommended that you disable network name broadcasting to the general public and any strangers. These features are helpful for any businessman, hotel, or restaurant. It is unnecessary for a private wireless network.

• Use a VPN

When using a VPN, connect to its server first, then to the outside internet connection. It will ensure all of your traffic appears through the VPN server only. This hides any information about your local network and decreases the chances of online attacks because VPN creates a virtual local network. When you connect them, your computer works on a physical and virtual network. 

Note: You must be very careful while choosing your VPN connection. It should be reliable and must not save your activity log. You can choose VPN Surf to increase the security of your WiFi router. Here is How to get a VPN.

Final Thoughts

You've found all the informative and helpful information to secure your wireless network. As you already know, keeping your router’s security the top priority is vital. These steps can be beneficial even for a non-technical person to apply. Do not forget your WiFi network security can sometimes be weak and be exploited too. 

It does not vary how strong your WiFi password is; if you don’t secure your router completely, any cybercriminal can hijack your network system and quickly get your personal information along with sensitive data. So it’s always better to take preventive measures before you actually face the hindrance. 

Read more blogs here about WIFI Security:

- How To Secure Your Home WIFI By Yourself

- Which WIFI Security Protocol To Use On Your Router?