Why securing your home network?
If an organization allows workers to use their personal laptop outside the business network they probably have some sort of security software or company developed software that they run in order to prevent accidental loss of data. However, when these machines are connected in the open Internet, then they are all subject to the same threats regardless of the security software they are running or the operating system.
If a business laptop of one of the employees of company X gets stolen, obviously there is a possibility that with professional hacking tools the data contained in its hard-drive can be retrieved even if this is encrypted.
Another issue that might occur is that when using a laptop at home or at a public place such as a cafe’ there is no certainty that the network used is free from malware and safe for browsing. In fact, most of the time that people do get hacked is because they login on their personal accounts (mail / social media / business) in a network that is not properly secured.
An example of an unsecured network is for instance a cafe where most of the time the person who originally set up the router is one of the staff and because of a lack in general technology matters and in Internet security procedures has not spent enough time changing the default user admin ID and password. A quick search online for this details by submitting the brand and model of the router will yield a ton of important information on that particular router model and firmware and also include the default credentials.
Once the hacker has those details he can then login in the network by just typing on any web browser the internal URL: 192.168.0.1 while connected on that network and he will immediately take control of the all network, thus changing rules and downloading additional firmware that will make that router communicate with his own software / server remotely. Amazingly in many of these cafes and public places the router is positioned in a place in the room where it is easy to spot.
5 things To consider When Choosing The Right Password
While common people might think that this is something we can only see in “Mr Robot” type of fictional movies, it is actually a very common way to take control of a public network and still at the top in the list of simple hacks with potentially tremendous consequences.
Another example of misuse of a laptop is when at home is used for both work and leisure and left unattended while guests or flatmates and friends are free to peek or use it. We’ll never know who has visited that particularly nefarious website and why…what we will come to know in the future is that replying to a tweet or a Facebook message or even just opening the wrong email something has been downloaded and is now installed in the machine.
That something is a dangerous piece of software that can record screenshots and keystrokes and send it to a remote computer on the other side of the globe where some not so friendly person is spying on you via your webcam and reading your emails, your bank details, your social security and so on. The next thing you know is that someone is impersonating you and somehow has managed to know all your whereabouts. Still guessing why or how?
There are so many things that can go wrong when a computer is not on a secure network that making a list will probably fill a book.
It is amazing how many people are not even aware of or they have this puzzling belief that those things are from “Netflix” and they’ll never happen in real time…this of course…..until they do!
Digital Designer, blog writer and also a tech enthusiast.
He loves to write content for blogs, podcasts, design websites, logos, brochures, banners and anything that sends a message to an audience.
You can contact Daniele at the link below:
