Starting the workday in pajama pants at the kitchen table might be the coziest part about working from trang chủ, but the wireless connection between your work laptop và personal router that makes Mondays easier brings some security issues to lớn the table. Your trang chủ network doesn’t exactly have the backing of the company’s IT and security departments, after all.
Personal and professional devices need different levels of security. Bad guys are more likely to lớn be interested in business networks with high-value data, instead of residential networks used primarily for entertainment và communication. Thanks khổng lồ the COVID pandemic, trang chính network security became much more important now that many of them are transferring important business data.
The general list of security controls for home Wi-Fi looks something lượt thích this:
Use strong encryption (WPA 2)Change mặc định SSIDChange the mặc định passwordDisable WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)Update firmwareUse a guest networkThese are all almost universally agreed upon. However, there’s one security control that some recommover and some don’t:
Hide network SSIDThere is a debate within the cybersecurity community as lớn whether this is a valuable security control for wireless networks. Navigating the ins & outs of computers, networks, & the internet at home page is confusing enough on its own without the added confusion of conflicting opinions. So let’s take a look at this argument & see if we can come up with the right answer.
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Background: What is an SSID?
An SSID, or Service Set Identifier, is the name of a wireless network. It is broadcast by the wireless network’s router (or access point) so devices can see the different wireless networks in their vicinity. This is what makes it easy for users to lớn find, select, và connect to lớn nearby access points. The default setting for a wireless router is to lớn broadcast its SSID.
What is hiding an SSID?
Hiding an SSID is simply disabling a wireless router’s SSID broadcast feature. Disabling the SSID broadcast stops the router from sending out the wireless network’s name, making it invisible to users. However, this only hides the name from showing up on device lists of nearby networks. The network itself is still there, since people still need lớn use it. This brings us to the debate.
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Pros of hiding your SSID.
The primary benefit of hiding your SSID is that it reduces the likelihood of an attack by keeping hackers & nosy neighbors from even knowing your network is there. It makes your network less of a “low hanging fruit” by making it more difficult to lớn find. The theory is that a casual attacker would choose khổng lồ attack a more obvious, in this case non-hidden, network instead.
However, your network is still there & can still be found by determined attackers. The SSID is included in informational data, or data packets, that are transferred on the network. These data packets can be found and examined with readily available network analyzing tools & anyone with the know-how to lớn use them.
That being the case, hiding an SSID is not a one-and-done solution và must still be coupled with the other Wi-Fi security controls listed above. A hidden network cannot prsự kiện an attaông xã, only reduce the likelihood of one ever happening.
Cons of hiding your SSID.
The main argument against hiding your SSID is as stated above: the more technically advanced bad guys can still find your network whether the SSID is hidden or not. To them, you may as well be running around with a giant sign that says “I use a hidden network!”
Readily available network scanning tools, such as inSSIDer, will report bachồng on all nearby networks, including hidden ones. The screenshot below shows what it looks lượt thích when someone detects a hidden network. The eighth listing down with a pink bar next to its name is the hidden network. This tiện ích leaves it blank, others will list “Hidden SSID.”
From here, there are a multitude of hacking tools that an attacker can use to identify your hidden SSID. They might even feel encouraged to vì so – just what bởi you have that’s worth hiding?
Another giveaway for your hidden network are your Mobile devices themselves. For user convenience, computers & cell phones are always trying to lớn reconnect to lớn your preferred Wi-Fi network. This makes for a seamless experience when you get trang chủ, open your máy vi tính, và don’t have sầu to lớn worry about reconnecting to Wi-Fi.
Normally this is handled by the device acting as a receiver – it is listening for a ping with the SSID of the router to lớn establish a connection. When you use a hidden SSID, you shift that responsibility khổng lồ the thiết bị di động device as opposed khổng lồ the router. Now, whenever your device is away from the hidden network, it’s constantly sending pings to look for the router. The SSID is a crucial bit of information that must be included in the “handshake” between the router và device in order lớn establish a connection. If neither device is broadcasting, they don’t know that they’re supposed to connect lớn each other.
An attacker that’s monitoring local network signals can easily detect this behavior, telling them 1. That you use a hidden network at home or work và 2. The name of that network.
Hiding your SSID comes with another usability drawbaông chồng too – it makes connecting to your network more difficult for legitimate users. Instead of selecting from a các mục of visible networks, you have to lớn manually enter all of the network details for your Wi-Fi connection.
Disabling the SSID broadcast also makes it difficult for older versions of Windows to find and hold their connection to a network. These older versions of Windows will prioritize connecting lớn a network with a broadcast SSID regardless of signal strength, and disconnect from a network without a hidden SSID & connect khổng lồ one that is broadcast. Wireless dongles have also been known lớn drop connections when the SSID is hidden.
Our Take on Hidden SSIDs
Both sides of the argument have valid points, so the answer as to which is the better practice ultimately boils down khổng lồ this question:
Is the benefit of discouraging a casual attacker worth the risk of looking lượt thích a more attractive target & complicating legitimate network use?
In our opinion, it’s not worth the drawbacks lớn hide your SSID. You can discourage casual attackers và hackers interested in low-hanging fruit with other security controls: use a svào password, encrypt your network traffic, and run updated firmware. Unlượt thích hidden SSIDs, these come with no usability drawbacks.
So the answer is NO. The other security controls are enough that the benefits bởi vì not outweigh the risks of hiding your SSID – don’t do it!
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