How to prevent WiFi theft?

The most effective way to prevent others from stealing your WiFi is to use the long default password provided by the router manufacturer, without changing it to something easier to remember, and only share it with trusted individuals.

These are the two main ways to protect yourself and prevent your internet connection data from being stolen via WiFi. However, there are many other alternative methods that we will explore later.

Let’s go step by step and see how to determine if we are victims of this type of theft, what its consequences are, and discover all the tools and tricks at our disposal to protect ourselves and avoid being robbed.

 

How to Tell If Someone Is Stealing Your WiFi Data?

Firstly, if you suspect that your internet connection is slow at times, check if the connection speed matches what you have contracted with your internet service provider by conducting a speed test. You can access this type of test, for example, through this link or any other similar website (easily found by searching on Google: “internet speed test”).

If your connection data is significantly lower than what you’ve contracted, contact your service provider to find out why your internet connection is so slow, as it may be possible to resolve the issue.

On the other hand, if your connection data matches what you’ve contracted, but your connection is occasionally very slow without other people in your household using the internet, there is a suspicion that third parties may be consuming your connection data.

To confirm and clarify if someone is stealing your WiFi, you can download an application on your computer or mobile device that can decrypt the devices connected to your WiFi network.

To do this, search for “WiFi-connected device scanner” + “for” followed by the name of your operating system in your app download search engine.

For example, if your operating system is Windows 10, search for “WiFi-connected device scanner for Windows 10.”

Once you’ve downloaded the appropriate application for your operating system, you can see all the devices connected to your WiFi network and make sure they all belong to you.

If you detect a device that does not belong to you, it means someone is indeed stealing your internet data through your WiFi connection.

 

How to Prevent Further WiFi Theft?

If, based on the previous step, you have detected that someone is stealing your internet data through your router’s WiFi, you should take action to prevent further theft.

To prevent WiFi theft, follow these steps:

1. Access the router’s management interface: Enter your router’s IP address in the search bar of your internet browser. You will be prompted to enter a username and password. You can find both the IP address and the default username and password on the bottom of your router. If you don’t know the IP address because you have a different router than the one provided by your internet service provider, search on Google for “how to find IP address on” followed by the name of your operating system. For example, if your operating system is Windows 10, search for “how to find IP address on Windows 10.”
2. Set up WPA security with AES encryption: This provides greater security.
3. Change the default password provided by the router: It is possible that your password has been compromised. By changing the connection password to a complex one and keeping it in a secure place inaccessible to others, they won’t be able to access your WiFi network again.
4. Change the network name (SSID): For added security, you can change the name of your network and hide it so that only those who know the name can search for it and, with the password, access it.
5. Deny access to specific devices: If the aforementioned application reveals unauthorized connected devices, you can block their access using the MAC filtering option.
6. Allow access only to specific devices: For maximum security, you can configure your router’s management interface to only allow access to the devices you specify.

 

What to Do If Your WiFi Has Been Stolen?

After implementing the security measures mentioned above and successfully detecting and preventing WiFi theft, you should take the following steps to protect yourself from the consequences of this theft:

1. Scan your system for viruses: Cybercriminals may have gained access to your WiFi network and infected your devices. Therefore, it is advisable to perform a thorough system scan using a reliable antivirus program.
2. Change passwords for banking, social media, and other platforms: If someone has had access to your WiFi network, they may have also intercepted your data exchanges on the internet. For security reasons, change all your passwords.
3. Seek professional help for sensitive or important information: If you have highly sensitive information on your computer or mobile device, if you are a business with a large number of files, or if your device data is extremely important for any other reason, do not hesitate to seek the assistance of a professional IT specialist. They can analyze your case, ensure there are no viruses on your systems, configure an optimal security system tailored to your needs, provide the possibility of encrypted and retrievable backups, and more.

If you found this article on preventing the theft of your internet data through your router’s WiFi helpful, you might also be interested in another article on our website about preventing the theft of personal data on the internet.