Hacking wifi networks has become incredibly easy with the advancement of technology in these past few years. Cracking passwords has turned into something like a favorite hobby or pastime. While it might be fun for some, it is a nightmare for people on the receiving end.
Unfortunately, getting hacked has also become increasingly common. Hacking enables people to steal sensitive information and use it at their convenience, often to their advantage.
There are two types of hacks that lead to users losing their data. The first type is virtually impossible to defend as a user, and it occurs when a company is hacked by hackers, and these hackers steal the sensitive credentials of thousands of users, essentially leading to data breaches. These data breaches lead to lawsuits in many cases.
The second type of breach basically occurs when the wifi security measures used are inadequate or if passwords used are weak. Unlocked devices that are left unsupervised are also known to cause such breaches.
What makes this even worse is when these hackers manage to hack the entirety of the wifi network and thus gain access to all the connected devices as well.
This article will go over strategies and actions recommended to strengthen your wifi network’s security, which will help guard it against any potential attempts to hack it. Let’s first understand why the hackers are interested in your Wi-Fi password.
Table of Contents
Motives Behind Hackers’ Interest in Your Wi-Fi Password
Suppose a hacker gains access to your wifi password. In that case, your internet connection can then be used by them as they wish for things like streaming videos and downloading files, or even indulging in illegal activities.
After gaining access to your router, the hacker can access your network-connected hard drives and obtain unrestricted access to sensitive information.
We focus specifically on how hackers can hack your wifi router via your wifi password, although there are many more ways to hack your router.
This method will require anyone looking to hack your network to be present physically near your house so that they can easily connect to your wifi. But, you may ask, how near is physically near?
If you’ve ever used your laptop in your backyard, you’ll eventually notice that the further away you are from the router, the weaker your wifi connection gets.
So, when someone wants to use your wifi connection, they’ll do the same thing. Their potential available locations include your neighbors or their neighbors. Apartments near you will also have good connectivity to your wifi.
How to Stop Hackers From Using My WiFi?
An unsecured network might expose your personal information, jeopardize your privacy, and even result in identity theft since hackers continuously look for vulnerabilities. Implementing the following decisive security steps is essential to preventing unwanted access to your Wi-Fi password.
1. Change Your Admin Password
On routerpasswords.com, many routers and models, along with their default usernames and passwords, are listed, complete with their login details. The default router login credentials that your router comes with should be changed to more complex variations so that hacking into your network becomes difficult.
Random and long passwords should always be ideal, but people ignore them because they want to connect to their Wi-Fi easily. But think about this – how often will you have to use the password to log in to your network? In most homes and businesses. you only have to log in once for the initial setup.
So, why not make it complex to prevent hacking? LastPass tool is a fantastic idea if you want randomly generated secure passwords.
2. Hide Your Router Details
Now that you are already on your router’s settings page, change your network’s SSID (Service Set Identifier). Your network’s name is usually kept in the router manufacturer’s name. This SSID is visible to everyone looking to connect to a wifi network.
We all know how easy it is to find or guess the admin’s password, so it is ideal not to make it easier by keeping the same SSID. Changing the SSID will not prevent a diligent hacker from entering your network but choosing a random name over the default one is way more sensible.
It also suggests that the user is more technology and security savvy than someone who doesn’t change the network’s SSID.
3. Disabling Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) for Enhanced Security
WPS is a protocol that encrypts ties between your network and a device. WPS operates on a mechanism that is incredibly easy to hack into, which is an eight-digit passcode. Thus disabling it is a great idea.
On paper, WPS uses an eight-digit code but the eighth digit is often a check digit, thereby reducing it to seven digits. And this makes brute-force attempts far easier. To make matters even worse, many routers do not allow a cooling-off interval between WPS code-cracking attempts.
To exacerbate the issue, the first four and the last 3-4 digits of the WPS passcode are often predictable or follow a specific pattern. This significantly reduces the number of possible combinations, making it easier for attackers to leverage simple penetration testing tools to crack the WPS codes.
4. Choose A Different DNS Server
It’s not like you can’t change your preset Domain Name System (DNS) server to another. These servers may also be vulnerable to attack, such as in cases in which they can be used to effect a cloned banking fraud.
Larger ISPs, due to the potential repercussions of compromising their DNS servers, are often targeted in such scenarios.
A backup DNS server is a great idea if something goes awry. The most common DNS server is Google’s public DNS server, 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for the ipv4 service. You can test if it’s working by clicking going on OpenDNS, which typically involves visiting their guide pages and using the “Test” button to verify the connectivity.
5. Update Your Firmware
This is the most crucial step; alarmingly, most people fail to do this. Updating your network’s firmware is incredibly easy and effectively boosts the level of security for your network, guarding it against malicious hacking attempts.
Many of us are accustomed to relying on Windows 10 to upgrade our operating system automatically when necessary. But applying this automated updating routine to all hardware and software may offer new difficulties.
Most routers come with automatic updates, but sometimes this setting might be disabled by default, so it’s always better to check that your router is updated regularly.
6. Use MAC Filtering
When you wish to restrict access to your Wi-Fi network, you can rely on the Media Access Code (MAC) allocated to all devices. It is a 48-bit digital identifier used by the device to tag network packets.
By default, your router will allow any device with the password to connect. So, if you want to block access even for the device with the correct password, this is where MAC filtering comes in.
You can use an online specialist site such as MAC Vendor Lookup or What’s My IP to identify the unknown connected devices. Once this is done, you can go to the access control” (aka MAC Filtering) section of your router controls to block all the new devices or blacklist individual ones using their MAC address.
However, MAC filtering is not flawless as hackers could clone any whitelisted device and enter your network.
7. Get A VPN
Whether you’re using the factory default firmware or have shifted to an alternate version, virtual private networks (VPNs) are likely supported on your router.
Even though third-party programs that use a proxy to reroute your internet traffic are more often connected with VPNs, setting up your own VPN via your router can give you additional security advantages. Doing this allows you to enter your home network through an encrypted tunnel even when not connected.
Moreover, it offers the same degree of end-to-end encryption as a premium service, allowing you to publicly access the web without worrying about data theft or interception.
8. Set Up A Guest Network
Giving your Wi-Fi password to everyone who visits your home, even your family and friends, means diluting the security of your home network. This increases the chances of the password falling into the wrong hands.
They may unintentionally share the password with someone else. One way to prevent this is regularly changing your password whenever you share it with someone from your family. But, this can be a hassle for the family members, you, and the routine visitors of your home.
This is why many modern routers allow you to set up a guest network for your guests. By doing so, you can share a key with them and they can access the internet without looking at your connected devices.
If your router does not support guest networks, check the firmware updates or upgrade to a newer model.
Closing Thoughts
The motives behind hackers seeking your Wi-Fi password are varied and encompass a range of nefarious activities. But, by implementing the strategies mentioned in this article, you can prevent them from hacking your Wi-Fi password.
For an additional layer of security, think about MAC address filtering and masking your network’s SSID.
Even though no security measure can guarantee zero hacking data breaches, these measures will ensure enhanced safety and prevent most hackers from entering your network. To stay ahead of any threats, be vigilant, keep all of your devices up to date, and often evaluate your Wi-Fi network security settings.
Chris loves technology, specifically smart home technology! With both hands-on and executive leadership experience in his corporate career, Chris stays abreast of emerging technology and solutions and immerses himself in BCCA when not in the office.