The Anti-virus Times

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Our homes are full of useful modern devices: robot vacuum cleaners, music speakers, Smart house systems, children's robots… So, home Wi-Fi is a matter of necessity. Outside the home — in cafés, airports, museums, and simply on city streets — people can use public Wi-Fi. But its usability should not overshadow certain mandatory security rules.

Home Wi-Fi security

The long-awaited day has arrived: your provider has connected and configured a router in your apartment. Now that your Internet Wi-Fi connection is working incredibly fast, you should check all the possible vulnerabilities in your wireless network. And situations may arise when you have to configure it yourself.

Most people simply use their Internet Wi-Fi connection, but if you want to, you can join several computers and gadgets into a single local network. This will allow home users to share information, play games and ensure that all the devices included in such a network have Internet access. The router is the central link of your home network, and it should be under maximum protection.

First, when installing and configuring your home network, choose a security protocol carefully.

Several security protocols exist. WEP is the oldest and at the same time the most vulnerable protocol. The WPA protocol provides a higher level of security than WEP, but WPA2 and WPA3 remain standard for a secure and encrypted Wi-Fi network. If your home network is not secured with WPA2 and WPA3, you will need to enter the router settings menu and make the corresponding changes.

One of the most common network management mistakes is using the default password, and also 1234567 or 1111111, which are beloved by hackers. Change the password — it must be sufficiently strong and include lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

In addition, the router settings are protected with a standard password set by the manufacturer: it also lacks any originality (for example, "admin"), and some router models are not protected at all. We also recommend that you replace this password with a strong one; otherwise, anyone will be able to compromise your router. And the goals of those who wish to do that vary: from the banal hacking of the code in order to use the Internet for free to blocking the user’s access to the settings with all the ensuing consequences.

Many router models have buttons to connect devices to the Wi-Fi network. The WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) standard makes connecting easier: it allows users to connect a device to Wi-Fi without entering a password.

A little precaution doesn’t hurt: disable the remote control of your router. It's usually disabled by default, but make sure that’s the case, and, if it’s not, disable the remote-control feature that can make your Wi-Fi network accessible to outsiders.

Your wireless router constantly transmits the name of the Wi-Fi network (Service Set Identifier — SSID, or identifier), which allows people to detect it using a regular search for Wi-Fi connections. However, the system will work without such an alert, and only the few who know the identifier will be able to connect to it. Protect your identifier: disable this option by unchecking the corresponding checkbox in the configuration settings. That way it will be much more difficult to identify your network. However, in this case, you will have to enter the password every time you connect your device to the network.

Most modern wireless routers support multiple protocols for automatically connecting devices to each other. Disabling unused protocols helps reduce the risk of being intruded upon by cybercriminals.

Periodically update your antivirus and router firmware. Download the latest available firmware version from the vendor's official website to make your network less vulnerable. Software with an up-to-date malware database can serve as an alternative. The longer you postpone doing updates, the higher the risk of infection.

A simple tip: turn off the Wi-Fi signal when you don't need it. When connecting home devices to the Internet via your cable, disconnect Wi-Fi on the router — after all, a wired network is much safer. Also, turn off the router if you plan to be away for a long time.

Disconnect the guest network, which gives potential guests access to your wireless connection, if your guests don't need it.

Consequences of Wi-Fi sharing

It's important to choose the right location for your router. Install the router in a place that is strategically convenient for you. Remember that a wireless signal travels in all directions, and if the router is located near the wall separating your apartment from your neighbour's, the signal will be broadcast to your neighbour as well. Also keep the router away from roads, stairwells, and common areas.

If you grant another user access to your Wi-Fi network, do not forget that this can have unpleasant consequences from a legal perspective since you are thus considered to be an access provider. If a user visits illegitimate websites from their device via your Wi-Fi network or shares dubious files, you are responsible for this.

The consequences of sharing a Wi-Fi network are not limited to the legal and contractual aspects. There is another important aspect: such use affects the speed of your Wi-Fi connection. If you just surf the Web or read emails, the slow down won't be a problem, but it will be noticeable when you stream movies. Your Wi-Fi’s performance may also depend on the number of guests you have: the more devices connected to your router, the more the Wi-Fi signal power is reduced.

So, sharing a private Wi-Fi network is risky. And what about the security of public networks?

"An open space: Good or not?"

As the concept suggests, public networks are open to everyone. Working without an authentication system, they represent a real find for hackers, who can access the information transmitted between you and the Internet connection point. Attackers can not only collect data; they can also take advantage of network vulnerabilities to spread malware.

Should we avoid public networks? Obviously not, but using them requires some precautions...

How to correctly use public Wi-Fi networks

It would seem that a virtual private network (VPN) should be used to connect to the network via a public connection. However, using a VPN can lead to a false sense of anonymity and security. VPN operators promise users complete privacy and recommend using the Internet via VPN servers. But this way, your anonymity is left to the VPN operator. Encrypting data transmitted via VPN can protect against hacker attacks. However, the risk of data leakage and compromise always exists.

In addition, using secure SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) connections, by activating the "Always use HTTPS" option in your browser, is recommended. HTTPS encrypts your messages on many sites. Depending on your operating system, you can disable the Sharing options feature in the System settings or in your computer's control panel. For example, Windows offers a Public Network option designed to keep your computer from being visible to devices near you.

When using a public network, carefully monitor which sites you visit. You should not log in to social networks or open online banking applications, and you should never make any purchases. Public Wi-Fi in this sense works like any other public place, so it’s not worth throwing away your personal data.

Even if you don't use the Internet, you should know that your Wi-Fi system is "chatty" and continues to transmit information about its surroundings. Disconnect your Wi-Fi network for more security — for example, if you are working with a Word document. This will also save battery power.

Check whether the automatic connection to already known Wi-Fi networks is disabled. Most smartphones store network data, so you need to be careful when re-visiting a location where you once used local Wi-Fi.

If you need to use a public network to log in to any services, we recommend that you install an antivirus. Not only will it protect against malware, it will also prevent you from opening dangerous websites. For example, Dr.Web Security Space for computers incorporates the HTTP monitor SpIDer Gate — an online monitor that scans and filters web traffic, and in case of danger, blocks malicious objects downloaded over the network.