Hey! That’s my WiFi!

Hey! That's my Wi-Fi!

Have you ever checked your home WiFi connection and noticed a long list of possible connections? Unless you live in the woods with few neighbors you’ll very likely pick up a lot. Sometimes you get a laugh at some of the crazy names your neighbors use and sometimes a start when you see NSA_Van_9.  The thing is, your router is also popping up on your neighbors' list.  

I did just that the other day and was wondering who else might be using my WiFi. Just like stealing cable in the old days, only not as personal a connection, someone close by could be sucking off precious signal strength. What I found wasn’t as shocking as much as a surprise.

Wi-Fi use

Slow WiFi is one indicator of someone using your signal. All depending on the plan you have with your provider and your own usage.  You can quickly check what devices are using your WiFi by logging in to your router. Once logged in you will be provided with a list of the devices currently logged on. A simpler way is to use a 3^rdparty app such as Who’s on my Wi-Fi. This app will use your Wi-Fi signal and provide a list of devices currently using the signal. It is not necessary to provide any personal or router information. The list is comprised of IP and Mac addresses. Once you have the list the task becomes identifying the devices. 

I used this app to search for devices that returned a list of twenty-five devices currently logged on. After running down the list and doing some light deciphering I was able to determine good news and a surprise. The good news-No foreign devices were located. The surprise? All the devices were mine! The search revealed twenty-five devices that did not include the devices that were not currently logged on and had Wi-Fi disabled. If everything were in use the total would be over thirty.

Internet of Things (IoT)

As determined in the post Locking Down the Internet of Things we have, over time, without plan or intent, created our own IoT. That happens in most households. Excluding phones, 74% of U.S. homes have at least one smart device. Few people plan to set up a smart home system, it happens in bits and pieces. A security camera and/or alarm system, new appliance, TV, thermostat, one device at a time your IoT builds. Then a smart speaker is added that is able to control some or all of the devices and your IoT smart home comes to life. Added already to the phones, tablets, and eReaders your WiFi list expands. 

Security

With all of the security breaches that seem to be a monthly news item, we have become numb to the warnings of password and network security maintenance. It is important to perform regular checks of our home system. Especially as we add smart devices to our homes. (Are you being watched?) Properly setup new devices and be aware of what access you are granting them. 

The Wi-Fi usage check is yet another added security check but one that should be completed every so often. Just like changing your smoke alarm batteries at the seasonal time change it doesn’t hurt to set up some calendar reminder to review your home network security. This quick WiFi check not only reveals possible hacking but also helps you to get a handle on the number of devices in your home that are accessing the Internet.

Have you detected someone stealing your WiFi?  Tell us about your experience in the comments. 

Please share. Refer to the blog archive for more posts about Internet security.

Locking down the Internet of Things

WiFi security on the Internet of Things

Have you gotten all of your new tech gadgets hooked up after Christmas? Seems like every gift that had a plug also had a phone app and connected to Wi-Fi. Throughout the year as new toys or even appliances enter your home, setting up individual devices isn’t that noticeable. But after Christmas rolls through and you start setting up all the new goodies it really makes you sit back and notice-You have entered the new age of a smart home. Without realizing it we have created our own attachment to the Internet of Things (IoT).

That's a lot of things

Leichtman Research Group in 2018 found that 74% of U.S. homes had at least one smart device. Statista estimates that there will be 42.2 million smart homes in 2019. Spending on IoT devices was $23.3 billion (yes, billion) and is estimated to be $75 billion by 2025.  While there are Bluetooth connections, the primary connection for IoTs is Wi-Fi. Statista reported that the average number of connected devices per person, worldwide, in 2015 was 3.47 and is estimated to be 6.58 by 2020. That is connected devices per person. Multiply that by people in your home and the for-the-common-good devices like appliances, cameras, plugs, bulbs, etc, and that’s a lot of connectivity. 

If you want to keep up with technology it is how it’s going to be. I didn’t set out to convert the ol’ analog home to “smart”. It just happened. Garage door opener, a new appliance here and there, TVs, Hey Google, Hey Siri, Alexa, before you know it you’re your home is smart. The router sent me a message, yes it communicates as well, that the network was getting full. You’re aware of connectivity for your phones and computers but forget about the other electronics-appliances/TVs/cameras/power strips/gaming systems/eBooks, etc-that are on all the time and trying to communicate with the mother ship. Not only are these devices taxing on your home network they are all portals for security breaches.

Anyone of these connected devices can be hacked at the source, through the controlling app, or the company that provides the service. All the more reason to review your home network security.  If you haven’t done so recently, with the onset of all your new tech wonderness, you’ll need to upgrade your Internet service.  Most times these types of upgrades come with new routers. 

Security

One of the first actions you should take on all routers and new devices is set up your own logins and passwords. Many people still use the default settings, which cybercriminals are aware. Changing this information will at least slow them down. I say slow down because, as we’ve seen, anyone can be hacked. At least changing the settings will offer some protection.

For all of your connected devices actually, read the setup instructions and pay attention to what you are agreeing to during the process. Data collection is big business and those companies want your data. As consumers get more privacy savvy the product providers are finding counteractions. I recently loaded an app that wanted access to my phone’s camera, microphone, location, and to send user data. Answering no to any of those requests denied the user access. Or sometimes certain features are denied or dampened if the user doesn’t agree to the terms.

Devices that listen, your phone, TV, Echo, Google home, are also collecting data and have been proven to also be recording your conversations. In the interest of improving their service, of course. Again, go through the setup and privacy menus carefully. Understand what the device, i.e.-manufacturer is asking you to allow.

Overall, you have to understand that if you allow “smart” devices into your home you are giving up privacy. It’s hard not to get caught up in the technology craze, but understand that what you’re getting yourself into.

Please see the blog archive for other posts relating to privacy.

There’s been a breach May 2018

How secure are apps? April 2018

One born every minute February 2018

Are you being watched? February 2018

Cleaning up your online presence September 2017

Public WiFi for dummies July 2017

Keys to the vault August 2015

What we give up for convenience

If you think about it, who is the culprit in the multitude of personal data breaches? The hackers? The companies that failed to protect the data? Or is it ourselves for uploading our personal data in the first place? This really isn’t a proper question because we aren’t the culprits. But the point is that we, ourselves, allow more and more data to be collected by mega corporations. Sometimes it is innocuous as registering on a web site or app, which we cannot always avoid because in order to do business in the digital world we have to. What I mean by allow is two pronged. One, we are not outspoken enough about the Google’s and Facebook’s of the digital world collecting data. Facebook has seen a little backlash recently, but people will continue over sharing every detail of their life. But that’s the really big picture. 

Second, and more specific to personal security, is what we allow by making choices to upload or share personal data. We do this by plugging in the new smart TV without learning about its capabilities and without changing the settings. Or by installing the multitude of other appliances, cameras, digital assistants that we bring into our homes and plug and play. Anything you can talk to on demand and receive a response has to be listening all the time. Creepy? We will allow apps to track our location so that when we are in certain stores or near certain locations we receive notifications. As with listening, these apps aren’t waiting for you to arrive at a certain location, they are tracking and storing your every move until you arrive at the specific location.

How much privacy are we willing to give up?

Last month police and the FBI captured a man suspected of being a serial rapist and murderer in a multitude of cases from forty years ago. The case was broken through the use of DNA. The suspect himself was smart enough not to have his DNA logged into any DNA databases. Smart detectives realized that outside of justice system DNA databases there is a plethora of information being collected by private entities. Ancestral research companies provide DNA collection kits, which allow people to submit their DNA for comparison to other samples in hopes of finding family matches. You guessed it, the profiles are stored in databases so that they can be pinged during searches.

Checking crime scene DNA against public sources of DNA, police were able to get a familial match. That match narrowed the pool of suspects down to one family. Then through traditional police work detectives were able to identify a suspect. As you can imagine privacy watchdogs are all over the issue of law enforcement having access to private sector databases.

For some time Amazon has been offering package delivery inside of your home. Utilizing an Amazon smart lock, with the customer’s permission and knowledge, delivery personnel can unlock your door and drop the package inside. Of course, you are alerted each step of the process. Amazon recently announced package delivery to your vehicle. Currently the service is only offered to owners of GM and Volvo vehicles in certain cities.  The privacy we give for convenience. We allow cleaning and pet sitting services into our vacant homes but more than likely we have met the workers performing the services. I’m sure Amazon does a fantastic job vetting it’s employees. The point is we are giving complete strangers access to our homes and vehicles. We are then shocked and surprised when something bad happens. 

Check yourself

As with corporations and social media we gladly share and upload personal data, even our current location and DNA profiles. Trusting souls that we humans are we don’t cry foul until there is a breach or government overreach. Even though we are the ones that probably share a little too much.

You can’t always avoid uploading data or providing data through registrations. What you can do is be aware of what and to whom you are sharing. Monitor your financial accounts and pay attention to announcements of breaches. You may not be directly affected, but your other accounts may have been compromised through third party links to the breach victim.

Just as we are told to change smoke detector batteries at Daylight Saving Time, maybe we should get in the habit of doing online security checks every time there is a breach announcement.

Please see the blog archive for other posts relating to privacy.

There’s been a breach May 2018

How secure are apps? April 2018

One born every minute February 2018

Are you being watched? February 2018

Cleaning up your online presence September 2017

Public WiFi for dummies July 2017

Keys to the vault August 2015