Risks of Having an Unsecured Network

Wireless networking has surged in recent years as we move toward a world without wires. The requisite hardware has become quite affordable and easy to configure, even for the layman. Wireless routers allow you to stay connected to the Internet and the other computers in your network, as long as you’re in range of your router’s signal. This technology makes connectivity far easier than it once was; but with this freedom comes vulnerability: an improperly secured network can allow others to suck up your bandwidth, use your network for illegal activities (such as hacking), and access private data.

The least insidious risk with having an unsecured network is that others can use your broadband connection and gain access to the Internet without paying. This can slow down your network and, if you’re charged by usage, cost you more money. An unsecured network also allows leeches to mask criminal activity; someone might use your wireless network to distribute illegal material, hack into restricted networks, etc. and it will appear that you’re the one responsible. Many service providers stipulate that you’re responsible for any abuse of your connection. In addition, your unsecured network opens a backdoor to your personal information. People often assume that because they have a gateway device with its own firewall that they’re automatically protected, which isn’t the case: intruders can bypass any hardware firewalls by connected to the private side of the router, which allows them to access almost anything you have on or send from your computer, including emails, passwords, work material, financial data, and more.

Securing Your Network

There are wireless router “sniffing” programs that determine the hardware manufacturer. From there, one need only download the manual from the manufacturer’s website, get the default password, and have instant network access. Router default passwords are almost always the same for each manufacturer, so your first step should be to change the password.

The SSID is the name of your network, which others will need to know in order to gain access. Because the SSID is transmitted to whomever, you’ll want to disable the broadcast so that any potential leeches will have to guess the name on their own. Unfortunately, some routers don’t allow you to disable the SSID, and still others require a firmware upgrade. The SSID is, like the default password, found in the owner’s manual, so you should change it to something more complex, preferably with numbers and/or difficult-to-guess acronyms.

These are just two simple steps that can make your network more secure, but it’s recommended that you also disable the DHCP, use a different subnet, utilize MAC for address filtering, and practice safer computing– the combination of which will make your network markedly more secure. You can find more information with the links below, or a quick Internet search. Don’t become a victim of an unsecured network.

Additional Resources:

• Enabling MAC Address Filtering
• Disabling DCHP and Other Ways to Secure a Wireless Network