10 Ways to Protect Your Wi-Fi Connection
After the Varanasi blasts that took place on Tuesday, the Mumbai police traced an email sent by Indian Mujahideen terrorists to a Wi-Fi connection registered in Navi Mumbai. The terrorists had hacked the connection in the name of DJ, Akhil Talreja, claiming responsibility for the action. The mail sent from the id alfateh0005@gmail.com, further stated that it was in response to the Babri Masjid demolition. As an obvious move, the police had also grilled Talreja, considering him a suspect of the attack before realising that his account was hacked.
With the rise in the usage of Wi-Fi connections such crimes will soon become commonplace. Keep those nasty hackers away by securing your wireless connection with these simple tips
1. Don't use the default administrator usernames and passwords
Most routers or access points are made available with a default set of username / password combinations, which are documented and available online for hackers to access. Once a hacker accesses your device's administrative pages they can modify the configuration to control all aspects of your device.
It is essential to use a username / password combination that is difficult to access or crack. Use a password that includes a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters and special characters like $,*,%,!.
2. Secure your encryption
All wireless devices are supported by some form of encryption which scrambles messages sent over the air to ensure that they cannot be intercepted by hackers. However, several encryption technology can also be cracked within a few minutes. Thus, it is advisable to opt for WPA with EAP Authentication, TKIP / RC4 Encryption or WPA 2 with EAP Authentication, AES-CCMP encryption for better security.
3. Change the default SSID
Access points and routers use a network name called the SSID which is the same for all the sets shipped together. For example, the SSID for Netgear devices is normally 'NETGEAR'. The default SSID should be changed from the administrative panel for security reasons.
4. Enable MAC Address filtering
Each wireless device possesses a unique identifier called the physical address or MAC address. Access points and routers keep track of the MAC addresses for all devices that connect to them. Wireless routers offer the option to key in the MAC addresses of your home equipment so as to restrict the network to only allow connections from those devices. It ensures that rogue users cannot connect to the wireless router without using advanced MAC spoofing techniques.
5. Disable SSID Broadcast
The wireless access point or router typically broadcasts the network name (SSID) over the air at regular intervals. This feature was designed for businesses and mobile hotspots where wireless clients may roam in and out of range and is unnecessary for the home users as it increases the chance of someone logging in to your home network.
This feature must be disabled by the network administrator and the SSID name can be manually entered into the devices.
6. Do not auto-connect to open wireless networks
Your connection allows you to connect to an open wireless network such as a free wireless hotspot or your neighbour's router. This however exposes your computer to security risks and attacks. This feature is not usually not enabled, but most computers have a setting available allowing these connections to happen automatically without notifying the user. As far as possible, keep these settings disabled.
7. Assign static IP addresses to devices
Most home wireless devices use dynamic IP addresses which can be available to hackers to obtain valid IP addresses from your network's DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol- an auto configuration protocol used on IP networks pool).
The DHCP can be turned off on the router or access point, and a fixed IP address range can be set and then each connected device can be configured to match. Using a private IP address range (like 10.0.0.x) prevents computers from being reached directly from the Internet.
8. Enable firewalls on each computer and router
Modern network routers contain built-in firewall capability, but the option also exists to disable them. Ensure that your router's firewall is turned on. For extra protection, consider installing and running personal firewall software on each computer connected to the router.
9. Position the router or access point safely
Wireless signals normally reach to the exterior of a home. A small amount of signal leakage outdoors is not a problem, but the further this signal reaches, the easier it is for others to detect and exploit. When installing a wireless home network, it must be ensured that the position of the access point or router prevents its reach to the exterior as much as possible. Try to position these devices near the centre of the home rather than near windows. Many routers allow you to reduce the range of your router from the administrative panel to prevent the signal leakage.
10. Turn off network during extended periods of non-use
Avoid leaving your network available when you are not using it. Shutting down your network will most certainly prevent outside hackers from breaking in! While it is impractical to turn off and on the devices frequently, at least consider doing so during travel or extended periods of downtime.
Article Source: Idiva
After the Varanasi blasts that took place on Tuesday, the Mumbai police traced an email sent by Indian Mujahideen terrorists to a Wi-Fi connection registered in Navi Mumbai. The terrorists had hacked the connection in the name of DJ, Akhil Talreja, claiming responsibility for the action. The mail sent from the id alfateh0005@gmail.com, further stated that it was in response to the Babri Masjid demolition. As an obvious move, the police had also grilled Talreja, considering him a suspect of the attack before realising that his account was hacked.
With the rise in the usage of Wi-Fi connections such crimes will soon become commonplace. Keep those nasty hackers away by securing your wireless connection with these simple tips
1. Don't use the default administrator usernames and passwords
Most routers or access points are made available with a default set of username / password combinations, which are documented and available online for hackers to access. Once a hacker accesses your device's administrative pages they can modify the configuration to control all aspects of your device.
It is essential to use a username / password combination that is difficult to access or crack. Use a password that includes a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters and special characters like $,*,%,!.
2. Secure your encryption
All wireless devices are supported by some form of encryption which scrambles messages sent over the air to ensure that they cannot be intercepted by hackers. However, several encryption technology can also be cracked within a few minutes. Thus, it is advisable to opt for WPA with EAP Authentication, TKIP / RC4 Encryption or WPA 2 with EAP Authentication, AES-CCMP encryption for better security.
3. Change the default SSID
Access points and routers use a network name called the SSID which is the same for all the sets shipped together. For example, the SSID for Netgear devices is normally 'NETGEAR'. The default SSID should be changed from the administrative panel for security reasons.
4. Enable MAC Address filtering
Each wireless device possesses a unique identifier called the physical address or MAC address. Access points and routers keep track of the MAC addresses for all devices that connect to them. Wireless routers offer the option to key in the MAC addresses of your home equipment so as to restrict the network to only allow connections from those devices. It ensures that rogue users cannot connect to the wireless router without using advanced MAC spoofing techniques.
5. Disable SSID Broadcast
The wireless access point or router typically broadcasts the network name (SSID) over the air at regular intervals. This feature was designed for businesses and mobile hotspots where wireless clients may roam in and out of range and is unnecessary for the home users as it increases the chance of someone logging in to your home network.
This feature must be disabled by the network administrator and the SSID name can be manually entered into the devices.
6. Do not auto-connect to open wireless networks
Your connection allows you to connect to an open wireless network such as a free wireless hotspot or your neighbour's router. This however exposes your computer to security risks and attacks. This feature is not usually not enabled, but most computers have a setting available allowing these connections to happen automatically without notifying the user. As far as possible, keep these settings disabled.
7. Assign static IP addresses to devices
Most home wireless devices use dynamic IP addresses which can be available to hackers to obtain valid IP addresses from your network's DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol- an auto configuration protocol used on IP networks pool).
The DHCP can be turned off on the router or access point, and a fixed IP address range can be set and then each connected device can be configured to match. Using a private IP address range (like 10.0.0.x) prevents computers from being reached directly from the Internet.
8. Enable firewalls on each computer and router
Modern network routers contain built-in firewall capability, but the option also exists to disable them. Ensure that your router's firewall is turned on. For extra protection, consider installing and running personal firewall software on each computer connected to the router.
9. Position the router or access point safely
Wireless signals normally reach to the exterior of a home. A small amount of signal leakage outdoors is not a problem, but the further this signal reaches, the easier it is for others to detect and exploit. When installing a wireless home network, it must be ensured that the position of the access point or router prevents its reach to the exterior as much as possible. Try to position these devices near the centre of the home rather than near windows. Many routers allow you to reduce the range of your router from the administrative panel to prevent the signal leakage.
10. Turn off network during extended periods of non-use
Avoid leaving your network available when you are not using it. Shutting down your network will most certainly prevent outside hackers from breaking in! While it is impractical to turn off and on the devices frequently, at least consider doing so during travel or extended periods of downtime.
Article Source: Idiva
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