A SECURITY expert has revealed some important tips that Wi-Fi users should follow.
Wi-Fi networks can be hubs of personal information and it’s best to wipe any gadgets you’ve connected to them before discarding a device.
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Whether you’re disposing of any from a phone to a laptop, remember to wipe it to avoid Wi-Fi leaks.
Security expert Stan Kaminsky explained the importance of this in a blog post for Kaspersky.
He wrote: “Most devices store Wi-Fi network information in unprotected form, making it child’s play to retrieve it from a discarded or sold-on gadget.
“It’s also not hard to find out who previously owned it.”
Kaminsky goes on to explain that if you sell the device online, recycle it, or even just through it away near your home, a hacker could link it back to you.
This could put personal data in the hands of cybercriminals and even lead to your new router getting hacked.
The expert added: “A bad factory reset also leaves behind many clues: the device name often points to the owner (Alex’s iPhone 8), and the Wi-Fi network name — to their address or employer (TheBensonsHouse, Volcano_Coffee_staff).
“Such pointers make your Wi-Fi network easy to locate, and the password for it is right there in the device memory.”
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To avoid a cybercriminal getting hold of personal data this way, there are a few things you can do.
Kaminsky recommends doing a factory reset on any devices you are throwing away.
This is pretty easy to do and the specific steps for popular devices can be found online.
He also recommends changing your Wi-Fi password when you get a new router and updating the devices connected to it.
Kaminsky also recommends “strict access control.”
He wrote: “Configure your router so that any unknown or newly connected device is completely isolated and prohibited from accessing the internet or any device on your home network until you explicitly allow it to do so.”
