The abundance of internet-connected devices in this high-tech age has no doubt made your life easier, but all of these new devices bring their share of headaches as well. After all, the more devices you’re connected to, the more opportunities you provide for hackers to breach your information.
It’s not just PCs, laptops and smartphones. Hackers can also target the “gateway” to your home or office’s internet connection your wireless router.
Here is a look at why hackers are increasingly targeting routers in their exploits, and what you can do to limit the risk of having your router hacked.
Why Hackers Target Routers
A simple reason explains why routers are a growing source of activity for hackers: Many of them have security weaknesses.
In fact, The Wall Street Journal recently analyzed 20 of the best-selling routers on the market and found that half of them have documented security weaknesses. In addition, another half of said routers failed to prompt users for potential software updates during installation.
Often, people set up their wireless internet at home or work and simply let the router sit until someone has an issue with the internet connection. However, you can easily stay on top of your router security game, and here are five tips how:
1. Make Passwords a Habit
Anyone with an ounce of tech-savviness knows that it’s important to use strong passwords, and also to change them on a fairly regular basis. Even still, a recent report found that 46 percent of consumers and 30 percent of tech pros don’t change their default router passwords.
Changing passwords can become a pain, particularly if there are a large number of trusted people using your network, but a best practice is to try and change it at least every 90 days.
2. Offer a Guest Network
If you’re running a business, it’s common courtesy these days to have a wireless internet connection to offer colleagues, customers or clients. To play it safe, many business owners host separate networks for guests and employees, which reduces the risk of hackers accessing sensitive company data.
3. Get Physical With Your Router
This tip is another that’s particularly useful for businesses: Make sure to physically secure your router to ensure unauthorized personnel can’t access it. That may sound a bit paranoid or out of a spy novel, but you don’t want anybody you dont trust to have physical contact with your equipment for fear they may access personal or private information.
Along these lines, be sure to also secure Ethernet ports to keep people from gaining access to your wired network.
4. Consider Hiding Your SSID
Most routers broadcast their SSIDs by default so people can easily search for the network via their device. Most also allow you to hide the SSID so it won’t appear in a scan for networks and will only show up if you enter it manually.
Hiding the SSID means that both friendly guests and malicious snoops won’t know you have a wireless network just by running a simple scan.
5. Make Sure You’re Up to Date
All sorts of devices constantly update firmware to defend against security flaws, and routers are no different. Check with your manufacturer to make sure your router is equipped with the latest firmware.
If you’re serious about security, make sure you’re using a top-of-the-line security standard to limit the many risks networks can face. These standards come with certifications and help companies learn how to protect themselves from risks through frequent updates.
In the end, no single method is foolproof. Hackers will always be trying to find new ways into internet connected devices, including routers. Following the five steps above will give you a solid foundation to build your network security on.
