Wireless networks have become a staple in most households and businesses, providing convenience and flexibility to connect devices without the need for cumbersome cables, at this point it’s hard to think of a world without WiFi. However, despite the widespread use of wireless networks, most people are unaware of just how vulnerable these networks can be to security threats.
One common misconception is that simply having a password on a wireless network is enough to keep it secure, if only life were that simple. Many wireless networks use a Pre-Shared Key (PSK), which relies on a shared password to authenticate devices and grant them access to the network. While this may seem secure at first glance, there are several key issues with relying on a PSK for all of your network security.
For one, once a device is connected to a PSK network for the first time, it typically has access to the network until the password is changed. This means that anyone who manages to obtain the password, whether through hacking, reading it on the bottom of the router or simply asking for it, can continue to access the network until the password is changed.
Additionally, most people rarely change their wireless passwords, leaving their networks open to potential security breaches for extended periods of time. Changing a wireless password can also be a hassle, particularly for networks with a large number of devices and especially if you have a handful of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, that will all need to be reconnected one at a time.
The fact that a single password is shared among all devices on a PSK network also presents a security risk. If one device on the network is compromised, it can potentially give attackers access to the entire network.
So what can be done to protect wireless networks from these security threats?
It’s important to start with these 3 things on your home network or small office network.
- Don’t give your WiFi Password out. This sounds simple but asking for a WiFi password is about as common as asking what the time is, we don’t really think twice about blurting the answer out. You need to think about every device that connects to your network as if it is a person walking into a doctors office, most of these people from a distance may look healthy but you are about to let them mingle with everybody else. The solution is as simple as setting up a separate guest network on your router, this will keep all guests isolated from each other and they won’t have Local Area Network (LAN) access to your equipment.
- Create a separate Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) for IoT devices, effectively isolating them from the rest of the network. This can help prevent a breach on an IoT device from spreading to the rest of the network. IoT devices have an extremely bad track record for being secure, in fact if you are going to unknowingly open a whole into your network is is likely to be a device like a security cameras, smart speakers, smart thermostat or even a fitness tracker.
- One of the most effective is to regularly update the firmware on your wireless router, as this can help fix known vulnerabilities and prevent attackers from exploiting them. While you are doing this you also want to make sure that you have changed the default admin password on your router, this is different to your PSK. By doing this you get to stop hackers from being able to control the entire network.
It is also a good idea to regularly review the devices that are connected to your wireless network and remove any that are no longer in use or that you do not recognize. This can help prevent unauthorized access to your network and reduce the potential attack surface.
In conclusion, while wireless networks offer many benefits, it is important to understand the potential security risks they can pose. By taking steps to secure your network by configuring it correctly, you can protect against security breaches and keep your devices and data safe. Regularly updating your router firmware, not giving out the password, changing your password, and monitoring connected devices can all help ensure the security of your wireless network.
