Simple Steps to Wireless Network Security

Modern wireless routes for your home network or small office are very clever, aren’t they? Plug them in, switch them on and they usually work right out of the box. But, if you’re running a wireless router with its default settings you could be wide open to all sorts of problems.

Problems such as neighbors piggybacking on your network and using up your broadband allowance, downloading music, movies and worse perhaps illegally. You could be liable for their activities.

Worse still, you might even have a hacker or a joker for a neighbor who surreptitiously hijacks your computer or logs your keystrokes even when you’re logging into your online bank account.

Then there’s the problem of wardriving, where someone parks up outside a building and scans for open wireless network. If someone is parked on your street and is using a laptop, they could be hacking into your out-of-the-box wireless network right now.

So, here are the Top 5 tips a hack attack on your wireless network:

1. Change the router’s default name to something innocuous and random, your favorite color, a type of bird, a breed of dog. This is not a password, but hiding the brand of router is the first step t securing your setup.
2. Add or change the default password. Some routers have no default password, add one that is hard to crack and test your password here.
3. Next uncheck the box in settings for uPnP. When this setting is checked it means any program can change your router settings, which means trojans and malware could gain full access to your network.
4. Switch off admin via WAN, you don’t want someone on the internet being able to login to your router settings
5. Finally, switch on WPA encryption and set a passkey (different from your router password). Do not use WEP (it was cracked), unless you live in BFE with no neighbours and no roads. WPA2 with the AES protocol is best, TKIP has been compromised, although not fully cracked.

So, if you were running your wireless router with its default settings right out of the box, then I highly recommend that you don’t. According to Leo Laporte, the Tech Guy, you may have problems with some Nintendo devices and the Microsoft XBox 360 if you’re not running WEP, you might need a second router for those. For more on uPnP and why it’s dangerous check out Steve Gibson’s GRC security site. Gibson also has a neat password generator tool there too.