Most of us use the internet pretty much every day of our lives, and most of the time that will be done using a wifi connection. While the internet has opened many amazing doors, it has also opened things up for scammers and malicious software that can hack your server and access your information.
Our favorite router for security:
Synology RT6600ax - Tri-Band 4x4 160MHz Wi-Fi router, 2.5Gbps Ethernet, VLAN segmentation, Multiple SSIDs, parental controls, Threat Prevention, VPN (US...
Best secure VPN:
NordVPN
In this article, we will look at some of the ways you can learn how to make your wifi hackproof to make sure that you’re safe from the nefarious side of the internet.
Key Takeaways:
- WiFi allows us to access the internet through radio waves that allow for high transfer speeds using a router or a similar device.
- It’s vital to have good WiFi security to protect your devices from malicious attacks and viruses.
- Some ways you can increase your wifi security are by using strong passwords, using a VPN, and many other easy methods you can implement today.
Contents
What is WiFi?
As we mentioned before, the internet is a vast ocean of data, information, and pretty much anything you can think of, all available to each of us. In order to access all that data, you need an access point to the web.
That’s where wifi comes in. Basically, wifi allows us to access the internet through radio waves that allow for high transfer speeds. This will typically be done through a router or a similar device.
Having that wifi connection does open you up to malicious attacks, which is why it’s vital to make sure you’re secure.
How Does WiFi Work?
The process of how wifi works is quite complex, but it can be boiled down to radio waves. Let’s say you have a smartphone, that phone will be connected to your router via these radio waves.
That allows the phone to access the internet network along with any other devices that are connected.
Why Having A Secure WiFi Is Important
It’s not a nice thought, but sadly, the internet is filled with people and software that want nothing more than to gain access to your information for shady purposes. The less secure your wifi is, the more you’re opening yourself up to being exploited.
Becoming 100% secure is quite a tall order, but there is a lot you can do to get started with making yourself a lot harder to hack.
Securing your WiFi network is akin to fortifying the digital gateway to your personal domain. Implementing robust passwords, enabling WPA3 encryption, and keeping your router firmware updated are not just technical tasks; they are fundamental practices in crafting a resilient barrier against the relentless tide of cyber threats.
– Kurt Sanger Cybersecurity Expert
How To Protect Your WiFi From Being Hacked
There are quite a few measures you can take to protect yourself from hacking, and we will cover some of the top methods now. These methods will already help a lot, but you can also check out this list of 5 tips for cybersecurity for further information on the subject.
Use A Strong Password And Change It Often
The password you use for your WiFi can make a huge difference. If the password uses your name and birth year, for example, then a hacker wouldn’t have to do much guessing to discover what it is.
That’s why it’s a great idea to use passwords that are easy for you to remember, but based on things people who don’t know you won’t be able to guess.
Even if you use great passwords, it’s still a good idea to change them fairly frequently. That will make it even more difficult for hackers to guess what it is. It may seem like a simple thing, but having inaccessible passwords is a great first step toward making yourself more secure.
Keeping track of all these passwords can become tricky, so we would recommend using a service like the 1Password password manager to make it more manageable.
Be Careful Who You Give Your Password To
Even if you have an incredible set of passwords that you update monthly, it will be pointless if you hand them out like Halloween candy. Naturally, there are people you can trust your passwords with.
Most people will be okay with friends and family knowing their passwords, but it can be okay to share with outside parties. This is something you should be very careful with, however, and you should only give out passwords to people you absolutely trust.
A good rule of thumb is to never give out passwords to people who contacted you instead of you contacting them. If you contacted a financial adviser to help you work out your taxes, then giving them password access may be advisable.
However, if you’re cold-called by someone claiming to work for your bank, for example, then you should definitely not give them any information. It’s never rude to say no to giving your password to someone you don’t trust implicitly.
Create A Guest WiFi
Creating a guest wifi network can be a great solution for safety, especially if you will be granting people you don’t know access to your router. For instance, you may have an Airbnb room in your home. If you give tenants access to your main network, then they may be able to access your information.
Creating a guest wifi network will separate the connections and make it harder for guests to pry into your information.
Enable WPA3 Encryption
Encryption involves converting data to a specific code language that only people with the key can decipher. Encryption can be strong or weak, so you want to make sure that you have the strongest encryption possible.
WPA3 encryption is recommended for wifi connection, as it is the most up-to-date encryption available currently. Whenever you have the choice, this is the encryption type you should pick for your wifi.
Keep Your Router Firmware Up To Date
Whenever you have a device that can connect to the internet, there will likely be fairly regular firmware updates. This will be the case whether it’s a gaming console, a home security camera or a router.
These updates are usually pretty small and may therefore seem unimportant. However, you should always perform these updates whenever possible, as they will often incorporate the latest security measures to keep your protection up to date.
Use A Firewall
A firewall is a layer of protection that will monitor information processed to and from your network. This firewall will detect potentially malicious software or other threats to your network.
Many antiviruses will include a firewall feature, and it’s definitely something you will need to prioritize for your safety. In addition to a good firewall, services such as Identity Guard can also be incredibly helpful in protecting you and your family from a variety of attacks and breaches.
Be Careful With Public Wifi
When you’re dealing with your own home wifi network, you know the layers of protection that are in place because you would have implemented them yourself.
When you’re on public wifi, you have no assurances about the security measures the admin has implemented, so care is definitely recommended.
For example, if you’re using wifi at a cafe or hotel, you should avoid accessing any sensitive or private information, as hackers may be able to easily access it.
Use A VPN
VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, have many great uses. This is why we always recommend them to anyone using the internet, as they provide unparalleled internet access and anonymity.
A VPN can also make you much harder to track and monitor, so it can be a real headache for hackers to bypass. NordVPN is always a great choice to start with, as we consistently rank it as one of the best VPNs on the market.
Verify Connected Devices
In your home, you’ll probably have a good idea of the devices that re connecting to your network. For example, you may have 3 smartphones, a laptop, a smart TV and a Playstation 5 connected to your wifi.
You can monitor that these are the only connected devices, and that means you can see if an unidentified smartphone has mysteriously connected. This could mean that someone has guessed your password and can therefore access your network.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to verify and keep track of any connected devices.
Enable MAC Address Filtering
MAC address filtering is a feature that some routers have. Essentially, this feature allows you to limit and control which devices can access your network. Having this extra degree of control makes it more unlikely that unauthorized devices will be able to connect, so we recommend having it turned on.
Use A Secure Router With Quality Security Features
Unfortunately, not all routers are created equally, and some may lack essential security features. That’s why it’s always best to go for routers that have more comprehensive features.
The more secure a router is, the pricier it may be. It’s usually worth it to pay a bit more for extra security, but you can often find some really decent, reasonably-priced routers that will get the job done.
Final Thoughts
Protecting yourself from scammers and malicious software can seem like an uphill battle, but that’s why we wanted to cover ways that you can learn how to make wifi hackproof.
If you utilize all of the tips in this article, maintain security measures and buy quality hardware, then you will be well on the way to making yourself a lot less susceptible to hacking and scam attempts.
Where To Buy A Secure Router And VPN
There are so many different routers and VPN products to choose from that it can get overwhelming. In this article, we cover one of our top picks for routers that would be great for small businesses.
These routers would also be great for general use, so we would recommend them to any users. There are routers for all budgets and security needs, so we highly recommend checking that article out.
When it comes to VPNs, NordVPN would be one of our top choices, as we touched on earlier. If you want to compare NordVPN to other top products so that you can choose the best for you, then we have you covered.
This article compared NordVPN to PIA, and it goes over the features and benefits of each option. Alternatively, we have also compared NordVPN to Surfshark for some more options.
