Hey Guys,

A security researcher in Israel has proven how easy it is to break into a home WiFi network. During a test, he cracked 70% of 5,000 WiFi networks in his hometown to demonstrate that home WiFi networks are not secure by default and are easy to hijack.

You can read the full technical report HERE (https://www.cyberark.com/resources/threat-research-blog/cracking-wifi-at-scale-with-one-simple-trick), but in a nutshell, here are a few things that you can do right now to protect yourself from this type of attack:

Update your Router
The security software on most routers is updated all the time, so please make sure your router is running the latest version of its software. If you have never updated your router, you are at risk. Login to your router’s admin panel and search for the update button to get the latest updates. If there is the option to allow automatic updates, I recommend that you turn this on.

Check your Encryption Settings
You should ensure that your WiFi is using WPA2 AES encryption. If your router does not support this level of encryption, I suggest you get a more up-to-date router.

Set a Strong Password
You should reset the default router password if you have not done so already. Many ISPs historically shipped routers with very weak passwords.

I recommend using a passphrase instead of a password as this is most secure and easier for you to remember. You could use a favorite lyric from a song. For example, we will take the song Jingle Bells. To make this a secure password, we will mix upper and lower-case letters and change some letters to numbers and symbols.

Example Password = J1ngl3b3ll$

In all cases, please remember:
– At least or more than ten characters
– A mix of numbers, symbols, upper and lower case letters
– Use a unique password for every account
– Never use ‘easy to guess’ words like pets names, cars, favorite movies, or sports teams.

Turn Off WPS
If your router supports WPS, turn it off. WPS makes it easier to connect devices to your network, but it also represents a security risk.

Let me know if you need any help with this.

All the best,
Max Roberts,
Incognito Privacy Care Team.