

Make sure you check all of your Wi-Fi-attached devices before panicking! Keeping Wi-Fi hackers out It is possible that some of the devices have “unfriendly” names that aren’t immediately recognisable, but which are completely legitimate. Any devices you don’t recognise indicate a hacker may have compromised your network security. Have a look through the listing, looking for any devices that are unfamiliar. The list should look something like the image below (we’ve blocked out some of the most sensitive details):

These details may be under a section called Attached Devices, Device List or Home Network for instance. The specifics for each router are different, but you are looking for the Wi-Fi status page which lists all the devices that have connected, or are connected, to your network. Log into your router using the username and password supplied when it was installed (they are often printed on a sticker on the rear of the unit). The first thing to check will be the Wi-Fi router itself. If you notice anything strange happening on your network, you must investigate. The more people connected to your network, the more problems you will have loading webpages or streaming videos The first sign that your Wi-Fi network has been compromised will probably be a general decrease in internet speeds. So how do you know if your Wi-Fi network has been hacked? It may be that these hackers simply want to use your internet connection to get online – not as serious as stealing your sensitive personal information, but still stealing nonetheless. Using basic cracking tools, it is possible to bypass Wi-Fi network security in as little as 10 minutes. It is not unusual for your network to extend into the street outside your house – which provides an opportunity for hackers to get connected. Introducing drive-by hackingīecause you can’t see wireless network signals, you cannot easily tell how far they reach. Which makes your network a natural target for cybercriminals. From smartphones to games consoles to intelligent thermostats like Nest, virtually every appliance now requires a wireless internet connection.Īs a result, there is all kinds of valuable information being transmitted across your Wi-Fi network – credit card numbers, passwords and sensitive photos and files. Wi-Fi networking is absolutely essential to the modern home.
