Tips to Secure your WiFi Network

WiFi has made it so easy to use fast internet on any sort of device. No wires needed and still access to an internet connection anywhere in the premises. However this ease of access will increase the risk of someone hacking into your WiFi connection. Obviously all modern routers are protected with a password but this is not always enough security. If anyone gets access to your WiFi connection they cannot only commit criminal offences online using your internet connection but they can also gain access to any device connected to the WiFi and steal valuable data from your devices. It is important to take additional steps to make your WiFi network more secure.

To get started log in to your WiFi router to check the configuration. To get access to your router type the IP address of your device in the browser. This will be an address in the private range for example 192.168.1.x, with x being a variable number. If you do not know the IP address you will be able to find this in your router manual or simply google IP address router and the name of your provider. If you still can’t find the IP address open the command prompt app on your Windows computer or on the terminal on the Mac and type ipconfig.

Change your network SSID name and password

One of the biggest problems with WiFi networks is that the standard configuration is being used. The standard passwords look very random but there are a limited amount of passwords used per provider and hackers have been able to get their hands on lists of standard passwords from providers. They will then use software to try all the standard passwords on any router to gain access. So changing the standard password is a must. Use the normal password guidelines like no names, at least 8 characters long, and use characters (normal and caps), numbers and special characters.

Also change the network SSID name. This will not stop any attack however the standard SSID name will give away what time of router is being used but also what provider is being used which will make it easier to narrow down the vulnerabilities of the router.

Article continues under image

Tips to Secure your WiFi Network

Disable WPS

Normally a router requires a password for authorization. But with WPS you can connect at the touch of a button. Use the WPS button and  your device is connected without those tricky security requirements.

Knowing that WPS will enable new devices to be connected to the router without the password causes a security risk. It is therefore essential to disable WPS to protect your WiFi network.

Use WPA2 or WPA3

There are several encryption methods for wireless networking. WEP and WPA are basic encryption and relatively easy to crack.

WPA2 has long been the norm and even this method is getting vulnerable. With WPA2 you can choose between two encryption methods AES or TKIP. AES is the strongest encryption method. Please be adviced that any no matter what encryption you choose a strong password is always required. A weak password can always be hacked no matter how strong the encryption.

If it is available on your router always choose WPA3 because of features like forward secrecy. This means that in the event of a hack only that point in time and not all previous communication will be revealed. However the majority of current routers do not support this encryption as yet.

Tech-Wales Business IT Support

At Tech-Wales we provide quality business IT support for your business including secure business computer networks. Our trained and experienced engineers can provide you with an IT structure which is tailor made for your business. We proud ourselves in providing excellent customer focus and support and we will ensure your IT system will work for you so you can spend your time focusing on your business. Do not hesitate to contact us to discuss.