December 22, 2015

Unsecure wireless routers are targeted by most cybercriminals to carry out hacking attacks. After gaining control of your router, they can easily track, block, redirect or alter the online activities being performed on the network. With an increase in the number of network breaches, it has become even more important to improve the security of your internet router. Here are some tips that can help:

  • Change the default logins: Most routers use a default username ‘admin’ and a system generated password from certain known algorithms, making them easy to be guessed by the hackers. Therefore, it is critical that you change your login credentials to a unique username and a strong password. You should not use your name, date of birth, home address or any other personal information as the password.
  • Change Default IP Ranges: The default IP ranges, usually 192.168.1.1, is quite predictable by the hackers and may lead to cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks. Users can prevent themselves from such attacks by changing their IP range to something different, such as 10.8.9.7.
  • Enable MAC Filtering: Restrict the number of devices that can access your internet connection by enabling MAC filtering. Even if a user has the password to your Wi-Fi network, he would not be able to connect to the router if their device’s MAC address is not listed by the router’s admin console.
  • Turn Off WPS: Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) allows the users to bypass password and connect to the internet simply by entering a default eight digit pin usually printed on the router itself. Though it offers convenience to the authorized users, it also makes it easier for the hackers to gain access to your corporate network. To avoid this, you must turn off WPS and enable WPA2 encryption to limit access to your router with a complex password of more than 20 characters.
  • Update Router Firmware: Make sure you keep your router’s firmware updated. Frequently check the administrative interface to look for upgrades to fix various security flaws. Logging into the router routinely will also allow you to identify any unusual behavior that may indicate unauthenticated online activities.
  • Log Out After Each Session: Once you have configured the router’s settings, do not forget to log out to prevent abuse of authorized browser sessions. Many routers do not automatically logout after the admin page is accessed, thus, allowing the hackers to bypass the authentication process to gain access.

For more network security tips, feel free to contact Centex Technologies at (855) 375 – 9654.