Wi-Fi security – what do you need to consider?

Wi-Fi is nowadays hard to imagine being without in German households. Wi-Fi networks are a particularly popular target for hackers. But how secure are our Wi-Fi networks anyway? Which security methods are there and what can they actually do? Or to put it another way: how do I make my Wi-Fi secure?

Wi-Fi encryption methods for more security

Today we distinguish primarily between three essential encryption methods that were developed to protect wireless home networks. Over the years, the Wi-Fi security algorithms have undergone several upgrades and further developments in order to become more secure and efficient. A distinction is made between the WEP, WPA and WPA2 methods. The WEP method is the standard method and the oldest of the three. Over the years, the method has proven to be no longer secure, as it relies primarily on outdated technologies and should therefore no longer be used today. Unfortunately, the subsequent WPA method also differs only slightly from the standard method. From the further development of these two methods, the WPA2 system finally emerged, which was intended to fix the weaknesses of the previous models.

How does the WPA2 encryption method work?

WiFi Protected Access 2, abbreviated WPA2, is responsible for the authentication and encryption of wireless networks. WPA2 uses AES, the Advanced Encryption Standard, and is based on the essential functions of the new IEEE 802.11i security standard. WPA2 is thus the successor to the less secure TKIP encryption method of its predecessor model WPA. However, in addition to AES, WPA2 also has the TKIP security protocol and is additionally extended with the CCMP encryption protocol, which makes it possible to use WPA2 in ad-hoc mode. As a rule, AES has more data throughput than TKIP. AES is ultimately decisive for encryption with WPA2. A distinction is made between Enterprise Mode and Personal Mode .

• In Personal Mode, i.e. for private users and smaller installations, authentication is carried out with a pre-shared key, referred to as PSK for short. A secret text is used that resembles a password.

• In Enterprise Mode, authentication is carried out via RADIUS, i.e. a client’s request is forwarded by the access point to the server, which finally grants or denies access.

The password is set between the Wi-Fi client and the access point. This is part of a 128-bit individual key, which is additionally calculated with a 48-bit initialization vector (IV). This makes the calculation of the WPA key much more complicated for a potential attacker.

How secure is WPA2 really?

WPA2 does meet the strict security requirements according to certain guidelines and was declared the current security standard by the German Federal Court of Justice, but this happened in the year 2006. Over the last decade, technology has developed rapidly. Despite the supposedly secure WPA2 encryption, security vulnerabilities affecting almost all Wi-Fi routers were discovered. So how secure is my data now? The trust in secure connections is probably gone. Especially for companies, the security vulnerability poses a huge problem. Now confidential data can be viewed through a so-called KRACK and even manipulated and passed on. It is therefore essential to carry out security updates regularly in order to be absolutely sure that sensitive data remains protected in the future. After all, the encryption method is supposed to prevent wirelessly transmitted data from reaching third parties.

Consequently, the WPA2 encryption method is only the basic building block for a secure Wi-Fi network. Because even the most secure encryption method cannot guarantee protection against dangers without a proper password. That is why it is all the more important that you change the factory-set default passwords into a hacker- proof password in order to make it massively more difficult for an attacker to get into your network.

• First, make sure that your password consists of at least 20 characters. If you want to be absolutely sure that a hacker has hardly any chance of cracking your password, you can also use a password that exceeds 20 characters.

• Also try to use upper and lower case letters as well as numbers and special characters. It is particularly important to ensure that these are chosen arbitrarily and are not based on a name or on birthdays. It is also important to distinguish yourself with an individual name and password from your neighbour, who might also own the same router.

• Also change the administrator password with which you access the user interface of your Wi-Fi. After all, these are usually easy to guess, so you can ensure more security here too.

• An equally secure measure for a secure network key is to renew it regularly. Wi-Fi devices should also be configured exclusively via cable connections, and make sure to carry out firmware updates regularly as well.

If you want to get even more out of it, then you can also use a MAC filter on your router in addition to WPA2 encryption. This is offered primarily on the newer models. This allows you to match your personal devices to your network and decide which devices are allowed to access it. To do this, simply enter the MAC addresses of your respective devices, which you can find in the settings of your smartphone or computer, and then enter them in the configuration program of your router. Now you can activate the filter and the connection will be established exclusively for your registered devices.

Set up a separate Wi-Fi for guests

An equally increased risk to network security is giving out Wi-Fi access data to guests, for example friends. Everyone knows the situation: friends are visiting and would like to surf the Wi-Fi with their mobile devices. If you give out your network password, your guest also has access to all devices and services in the home network. You certainly don’t want that, do you? It is not for nothing that modern router models have a guest access. You can give the guest Wi-Fi a suitable name. It is separated from your home network and has its own encryption. This way, your friends can use your Wi-Fi at the same time without you granting them access to your office computer, for example. After all, you are not giving away your network password either. In the Fritzbox, you can easily set up the access via the menu Wi-Fi guest access. Another positive aspect is that neither do you have to give a password to your guests, nor do your guests need a password to connect to your guest access .

To stay safe at home too, do not underestimate your Wi-Fi network. If you have concerns or doubts, it is best to check the Wi-Fi settings of your router and go through the individual tips on router and Wi-Fi security again at your leisure. After that, nothing should stand in the way of your surfing the internet.