Cybersecurity crimes are reportedly showing higher numbers day by day. Since COVID 19, there has been an increase of around 300% in cybercrimes, as reported by the US FBI.
Many are falling victims to fraud due to a lack of awareness and knowledge of the field. With the advent and prevalence of the pandemic, work from home has become the new norm. People have to operate in front of Laptops for hours. Most of us are using wifi in our homes. But have you ever considered the safety of the network? People often save information ranging from our pictures to credit card details and essential passwords on our PCs and smartphones. What if your home’s network gets hacked and all the crucial information is leaked?
Well, you can ensure that your network is safe by staying informed as well as alert.
Here are some simple steps to check if your home router is vulnerable or not.
Table of Contents
STEP 1
1. Check the Domain name system (DNS) address. You can click on the properties and look for the details. Ensure that your DNS address is the same as before and not different. In case your DNS address is different, your server is more than likely being controlled by a third-person.
STEP 2
2. Keep an eye on your google location, you may start getting connected to the services of different countries or areas, and it will be easily visible in your google search results. The IP address of the user helps in tracking the location of that particular user. Sometimes google cannot track your location, while at other times, there are chances that somebody may be interfering with your network.
STEP 3
3. Stay alert if you see potential threats of phishing. Before putting any confidential details, check if the site is secured with HTTPS protocol, ‘S’ at the end, ensuring the site is secure. Sometimes you get provocative advertisements that you may want to click on. For example, if you see an ad concerning explicit content on a trusted site like your company’s website, your system is unsafe.
STEP 4
4. Never ignore the warnings issued by google. The notice this site may be hacked is explicitly shown if google detects some security issues. You should never open the site, while the other warning that appears more frequently is this site may be harmful. Such notice occurs when the site is installing some malicious application in your device and restrain yourself from opening such sites.
STEP 5
5. Visit your router’s site and check the details of the firmware you are using. If the firmware is not updated, more risks are associated with using it. The upgrades are essential to ensure the safety of the network.
STEP 6
6. Always use Firewall and anti-virus systems for additional security, and many firewalls offer you the option to browse through the VPN feature. Turning VPN on hides your IP address, and it would not be easy to trace your online activities. On the other hand, anti-virus ensures that your system is safe, and none of the malicious applications has been entered.
STEP 7
7. You can use simple tools like a network scanner, and your router provides you with a DHCP table that shows you how many devices are connected through your network. Check here for more router login details. If there is an additional device other than your devices, then definitely someone else is using the network.
STEP 8
8. Change your username and password more frequently. Create strong passwords. The more complex your password, the safer it is. These days, WPA-2 security is used in almost all devices, and it is pretty robust compared to previous WEP and WPA security systems. Securities like this essentially encrypt the messages and information that you may be sharing. So, even if a third-party can access the data but couldn’t understand what it means, it’s pretty useless.
STEP 9
9. Check if your system is working abnormally slow and there are issues in switching on and off. Additionally, if you can observe that the device is overheating and you can spot unknown applications. All these are the signs that a third person has acquired control over your system.
If you can detect a potential threat to your system, you should immediately take steps to resolve the issues. In case you lack ample knowledge, you should seek professional help and contact your service provider.