How To Secure Your Wifi Network , So No One Can Hack your Data?

Facebook, Yahoo, Gmail, Whatsapp, Viber, Hike, Wechat, Line and probably millions of other ways exist to chat and share with your friends. Millions of E-mails, selfies, documents, videos and messages exchange devices everyday and most of them are sent using the wireless fidelity technology popularly known as Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is a popular an inexpensive way to set up an internet facility in homes or in commercial areas.

How To Secure Your Wifi Network , So No One Can Hack your Data?

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There a lot of chances that when you visit a store or a restaurant you might run into the area of Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is helpful as through it many devices can connect to the world of internet wirelessly. But like a coin, it has two sides. Wi-Fi can be hacked and you might compromise your sensitive data. We are here to tell you 5 simple steps to save your Wi-Fi network from hackers and crackers. These steps do not guarantee safety but can prevent network theft to a large extent.

#1 Change Default Password

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When the Wi-Fi network is set up, the management sets up a default password. That password should be changed as soon as possible to a new one which is hard to decipher but easy for you to remember. The problem with default passwords is that they are usually very easy to crack like 123456 or ABCD which can make your network vulnerable to attacks.

#2 Enable the Network Encryption

Encrypting the network is a very important step. There are many methods available for wireless encryption settings. These include WEP, WPA and WPA2. WEP is a form of a basic type encryption and therefore least secure, but it is compatible with a wide range of devices whereas WPA2 is the hardest to crack but is only compatible with hardware manufactured since 2006. Securing with WPA2 gives your network a clear advantage over intruders.

#3 Check who is using your network

There is a section called “Device List” which shows names of all the devices that are connected to the wireless network be it a handheld device or a computer or a laptop. It’s a good practice to once in a while go to the menu and check which devices are connected so as to make sure only you or your desired devices are using your network.

#4 Filtering MAC Addresses

This MAC address has nothing to do with Apple’s MAC but all the wireless devices have a unique MAC address like every computer which connects to the Internet ensures a unique IP address. To create another layer of defence, the MAC addresses of all your known devices can be added to your Wi-Fi’s settings so as to ensure that only the specified devices can connect to your Wi-Fi network. Image Source

#5 Change the Network’s SSID Name

The SSID name or the Wireless Network name of your Wi-Fi Router is commonly pre-defined as a common name such as “default” or as the brand name of the router. Though this step will not ensure in making your network integrally more protected, altering the SSID name of your network is a worthy step as it will make it more understandable for others to distinguish which network they are joining and connecting to.