In today’s world, the majority of people use Wi-Fi networks to access the internet on our laptops, tablets, and smartphones running various operating systems. To add another user to the desired network, first, pick the network name, then the protection password. If the available Wi-Fi network is free, no password is required for you or someone else to access their computer.

One point to understand is that your wireless network can reach outside your home or office’s walls; the signals from your wireless network can be sent to other nearby homes or offices. Today, we’ll talk about whether you can protect your wireless network at home, in your home office, or at work.

An Overview of WiFi Security

Wi-Fi network security is a problem that all Wi-Fi customers should be concerned with. It is specified by IEEE standard 802.11i, and encryption schemes such as WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 are often listed, with keys or codes issued for the different Wi-Fi hotspots in operation.

Wi-Fi security is critical because so many people use it: at home, at work, and while travelling. Since non-authorized users will pick up the wireless signal, it is critical to ensure that they are unable to reach the device.

Router Security Options

You have a few router authentication solutions when you mount WiFi. Someone may gain access to your router, use it for illicit activity under your name, monitor your internet usage, or even install malware if it is left unprotected.

When it comes to wireless network security, you will have a few choices. None, WEP, WPA, WPA2-Personal, WPA2-Enterprise, and probably WPA3 would be available. You can need more or less protection depending on the type of your online usage.

Types of Wifi Security Protection

Protocols are used to secure Wi-Fi networks in a variety of ways. We have mentioned below the different types of wifi security.

1. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

The aim of this protocol would be to make wireless networks like Wi-Fi as secure as wired networks. Sadly, this kind of Wi-Fi network encryption did not deliver on its promises because it was quickly compromised, so now there are several open-source programs that can eventually break into it in moments.

In order to work, the Wi-Fi WEP key sends a direct text message from the client. This is then secured and returned with the help of a pre-shared key.

WEP keys are available in a variety of sizes. The most popular key lengths are 128 or 256 bits.

Undoubtedly, Wi-Fi WEP is preferable to zero and not everyone listening to a Wi-Fi connection point is a hacker. It is still commonly used and offers some stability. If it is being used, higher layer encryption (SSL, TLS, etc.) can be used wherever possible.

2. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)

The WPA access approach was developed in order to offer a workable upgrade to the flawed WEP scheme. The scheme was created under the auspices of the Wi-Fi Alliance and made use of a component of the IEEE 802.11i protection specification, which was created to replace the WEP protocol.

3. Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2)

The standard WPA or WPAv1 scheme for Wi-Fi network authentication has now been superseded by the WPA2 scheme. IEEE 802.11i’s required components are included in WPA2. It introduces CCMP, a modern AES-based encryption mode with high protection, in particular.

WPA2 certification was first required in September of 2004, and it is now required on all modern Wi-Fi applications.

4. WiFi Protected Access 3 (WPA3)

When bugs are identified, progress is made. WPA3 was launched by the WiFi Alliance in 2018. “New features to simplify WiFi encryption, allow more secure authentication, and provide improved cryptographic strength for highly sensitive data markets” will be included in this new release. Since WPA3 is still being introduced, most users do not have access to WPA3-certified hardware.

5. Wi-Fi protected setup (WPS)

WPS is intended to make it as simple as possible for users to connect to a secure wireless network.

WPS uses a few different techniques, the most popular of which is the push button method; simply press the button and you will be connected.

For instance, most modern routers have a physical WPS button which you can press, and many Wi-Fi printers have a program or physical WPS button that you might press to connect the printer. In a matter of seconds, the printer was connected to the Wi-Fi router.

WPS is a convenient way to connect to a wireless network, and many manufacturers build wireless network devices using WPS to make it as quick as possible for their customers to connect to it.

6. Access control

Some routers use an access control system known as MAC filter. And with this alternative, you can approve or deny devices from joining your network. Any new adapter has a MAC address, which is a hexadecimal number that uniquely identifies each device on a network and access control allows or blocks access by using the IP address from your router, but it would not be able to communicate with any other device or link to the internet. Access control is an additional layer of authentication that, in addition to the Wi-Fi password, often applies to wired devices.

Why Should You Select WPA?

WPA uses a less secure encryption technique which necessitates a shorter password, making it the less secure alternative. There is no enterprise solution for WPA since it is not designed to be safe enough for corporate use. However, if you have older applications, WPA can be used with little computing power and could be a better choice for you than WEP.

Why Should You Select WPA2?

WPA2 is an improved variant of WPA that creates a protected network by using AES encryption and long passwords. WPA2 offers both personal and corporate solutions, making it suitable for both home users and enterprises. However, it requires a large amount of computing power, so it might be sluggish or not run at all if you have an old computer.

Which choice is better for you, it is critical that you keep your mobile secure by properly protecting your WiFi link. Try using a VPN to encrypt your searches if your router does not accept the most safe form of encryption.

Steps to Improve your Home Wireless Network Security

With the continued growth of public hotspots and the rise of the remote workforce, ever more emphasis has been placed on the security mechanisms in place to deter wireless man-in-the-middle attacks. To begin, you can use TLS/SSL Certificates to provide network protection. Nevertheless, in addition to using TLS Certificates to provide network protection, these WiFi encryption options can significantly increase network protection.

Modify the name of your default home network

If you want to improve the security of your home network, the first step is to update the name of your Wi-Fi network, also known as the SSID (Service Set Identifier).

Changing the default name of your Wi-Fi makes it more difficult for malicious attackers to determine what kind of router you have. If a cybercriminal knows the maker of your router, they will be aware of any bugs in that model and will attempt to hack them.

Also, keep in mind that sharing too much private information on a wireless network name can expose you to identity fraud.

Use Complex Passwords

The WPA2 password you are using to encrypt your wireless connection, like all passwords, must be long and complex enough to thwart hackers trying to “aircrack” your password. Specific names, basic dictionary terms, and numbers that are easily guessed must be avoided.

Enabling network encryption would improve your Wi-Fi security.

There are many encryption languages used for wireless networks, including WEP, WPA, and WPA2. WPA2 refers to Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 which is also a security protocol as well as a current norm in the industry (WPA2 networks are just about everywhere) that encrypts traffic on Wi-Fi networks. This also updates the older and less stable WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) protocol and is an improvement over the initial WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) protocol.

Disable Remote Access

Routers typically only allow you to access their configuration from a connected computer. A few of them, though, offer access from remote systems.

We strongly advise you to keep these configurations disabled at all times, as computer hackers may use them to gain access to your router’s configuration without ever connecting a computer.

To make that transition, go to the user interface and look for “Remote control” or “Remote Administration.”

Switch off the wireless home network whenever you are not at home

In order to protect your network, we highly advise you to turn off your wireless home network while not in operation for an extended period of time. You should do the same with all of your computers that use Ethernet cables even anytime you will be away from home. By doing so, you are shutting any doors that malicious hackers might use to gain access to it whilst you are away.

Encrypt WiFi Router Admin Pages

Increasing your WiFi protection a step forward necessitates the use of a WiFi digital certificate to secure your administrative login sites. Self-signed certificates that come pre-installed on certain routers are publicly untrusted, easy to forge, and prone to Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) threats. TLS Certificates from reputable Certificate Authorities can guarantee that all of your WiFi correspondence is safe and confidential. If your router’s fast start guide does not cover digital certificates, you can find directions on the manufacturer’s support page.

Do Not Put The Router Close To Windows

Since we all recognize that WiFi signals do not remain inside your home/office walls, we suggest that you position the wireless router as close to the middle of your home as possible. The first advantage is that you can have access to the Internet from any room in your home. The second advantage is that wireless signals would not fly too far away from your home, where cyber hackers can quickly intercept them.

Use Always-On SSL

The very same factors that you would use HTTPS across your website refers to WiFi as well. Trying to access an account from an encrypted page and then interacting with the web via unencrypted pages exposes the user to session side buggering.