When connecting to the Internet, we traditionally use the network cable, Wi-Fi or the PLC. By far the most popular right now is Wi-Fi. Surely, if you check the devices that you have connected to the router, you would see that most of them do it over Wi-Fi. Smartphones, tablets, smart plugs and other home automation devices do so using this type of connection. For this reason, we should periodically review our Wi-Fi networks and take the appropriate measures. In this article we will discuss what can happen if someone enters my Wi-Fi, and the consequences it can have for our security.
Without a doubt, this is a serious threat that we must bear in mind. It is not simply that they can surf the Internet, it can also affect the privacy and security of our devices. So, let’s start by explaining what can happen if someone breaks into my Wi-Fi. Then we will continue with how we can detect an intruder on our Wi-Fi network and how to improve our Wi-Fi security.
What are the risks if someone enters my Wi-Fi
The first thing we are going to face is a nuisance in which someone unauthorized is taking what is yours as their own. This means that we are going to lose bandwidth on our connection due to that intruder. Depending on what you are using our connection for and the speed that we have contracted, we will notice more or less that damage.
If someone enters my Wi-Fi, they may do so to:
- Web browsing.
- Downloading files via direct or P2P.
- To play online.
From the moment it connects to your Wi-Fi network, that cybercriminal’s device is just another computer. When we connect for the first time to a network, Windows usually asks us if it is a private or public network.
If we plan to share files over the local home network, we will make it private. From the moment that hacker enters our WiFi network, he is one more. Thus, you could have access to files and network shares, so it is highly recommended to enable authentication and use SMB 3.0 with data encryption.
In addition, if someone enters our Wi-Fi network it also implies some threats that you should know:
- When we contract an Internet connection with an Internet provider, everything we do with it will be associated with our name . Therefore, if someone carries out a criminal action from your WiFi network, you are the legal person in the first place . In this situation, you are going to be forced to prove that you are not the culprit, which is not always easy.
- We are also in danger of the information transmitted from us being stolen . Being within the same network, it can make Man in the Middle attacks such as ARP Spoofing, to capture all the information that we transmit to the Internet. Of course, browsing with HTTPS would not save us, unless the websites have HSTS and we have the cookie in our browser.
- They connect to our devices. Hackers with sufficient knowledge may use programs to modify the information that we transmit to the Internet on the fly, redirecting us to websites that are under the attacker’s control, to steal personal information, banking information and much more.
Therefore, if someone enters my Wi-Fi depending on the will I have, it can leave me in a more or less compromised situation. You may be interested in how they can steal Wi-Fi from me.
Check if you have intruders from the router
The easiest way to know if someone is accessing my Wi-Fi, is to look at the devices that are connected through the router. Currently, most routers have a section where you can see the devices currently connected. This would be an example of a FRITZ! Box 7530:
Here, what we have to do is go reviewing one by one the devices that are connected. Some manufacturers to facilitate identification, allow us to name them as in the case above. If we have doubts about a device, in order to identify it we can turn it off momentarily. After spending a reasonable time, if we refresh and see that it is not there, we can catalog it with a name when it appears again. Other ways may be by looking at the device’s MAC address, or by blocking its Internet access to check.
As for the measures we can take to improve the security of our router, they would be the following:
- Keep your firmware updated.
- Have a minimum of WPA2 encryption, and if it supports it, WPA3.
- Put a strong password and do not leave the one that comes from the factory. Here’s how to create a secure WiFi key.
- Always disable WPS.
- Periodically check the list of equipment connected to the WiFi network.
With this series of tips you will know if someone enters my Wi-Fi and you also have the measures to protect yourself.
