Why you should keep your WiFi network secure?
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If you own a Wi-Fi Network then you should know the Wi-Fi network doesn’t end with your home or office, it can also be accessed from people beyond your home/office walls. If your Wi-Fi Router is a strong one then it can be accessed well over 300-400 feet and if you don’t secure it then anyone can access it, be it people from other offices or buildings and when they access your Wi-Fi network then they can access and see the data that is being shared across the network unless you make your Wi-Fi network secure.
If your office/home is big or small, the neighboring people can easily connect to your Wi-FI network and use your internet for free, not to mention that they can also see the data that is being shared across the network and if you are doing something sensitive such as online banking or making online transactions then you could become a victim and lose your sensitive information to unknown people. Therefore, it is important that you take steps and measures to secure your Wi-Fi network.
People who are able to connect your wireless network are able to do the following:
- Spread viruses/malwares through the network
- View the files and documents on the devices that are connected to the network
- Monitor the websites that are accessed across the network
- Copy your log-in information and password
- Slow down your internet connection
- Perform illegal activities using your Internet connection
What most companies and organizations do is that they go to great lengths and take preventive measures to ensure that all types of unauthorized access to the network is blocked. Here are some tips and preventive measure to keep your Wi-Fi network secure:
Change the Admin Password
One of the most important things about your Wi-Fi Network is the Admin Interface or Web Interface of the router. Most people don’t have much idea about this but consider the Admin Interface as the Master Settings page for both your Wi-Fi Network and Wi-Fi Router. If someone was to gain access to the Admin Interface of the router then he can control everything, from changing the SSID & Wi-Fi Password to seeing the data shared across the network.
The reason why the Admin Interface is vulnerable is that anyone connected to the network can join it using the default credentials which are easy to guess and are also available on the Internet when you search for it along with the Router Model. Therefore, you should change the password of the Admin Interface.
The admin interface is accessible through the default gateway address which for most routers is 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. Using these IP addresses, you can access the admin interface of the router and then change the admin password so no unauthorized user can access it.
Use a Secure Encryption Protocol and Password
There are different Wi-Fi Encryption protocols but you should always choose the most secure one. Currently, the most secure encryption protocols that are available include WPA2 and WPA3. WPA2 is found in almost all the routers that were manufactured in the previous decade while WPA3 is available in the most modern-day router. These Encryption Protocols are more secure than other protocols available and less vulnerable to being hacked. So, always make sure that you choose WPA2 or WPA3 as the encryption protocol for your Wi-Fi Network.
Also, when you are setting up the password for Wi-Fi then it is a wise decision to create a randomly long password or passphrase that is a combination of upper-case letters, lower-case letters, digits, and special symbols. Such passwords are hard to be cracked and make it difficult for anyone to hack into your network.
Make a separate Network for Guest
If you have visitors and guests coming to your home/office on a regular basis then it is recommended that you make a separate guest network for them. What this means is that they will be able to access the internet but through a separate Guest Network that is separate from the main, primary network. So any information being shared on the primary network is not accessible to the users on the guest network. It is a simple, yet effective security measure that prevents guests from intentionally or unintentionally infecting the primary network with viruses.
