Help and Support

Weak password security issue

Hackers can easily guess weak passwords by executing a brute force attack using a subset of all possible passwords. Keeping your router password protected and changing the password regularly are essential keys to protecting your network and your data.

Recommendation:

  • Create your password using 8 characters or more. It can be any combination of letters, numbers, and symbols (ASCII-standard characters only).
  • Make your password unique.
  • Use a different password for each of your devices.

Don’t use common words, common patterns or personal info such as:

  • Your nickname or initials,
  • The name of your child or pet,
  • Important birthdays or years,
  • The name of your street,
  • Numbers from your address or phone number.

Example of weak password: anna1974 or 11111

To change your Wi-Fi password you'll need to open your router's configuration page, log in using your current details, and change the password under the wireless settings menu.

  1. Router's configuration page: You can access your router's configuration page through a web browser on a computer connected to your network.
  2. Wireless section: Once you are logged into your router, you will need to find the Wireless section of the configuration page. If your "Wireless" section has multiple subsections, open the Wireless Security page.
  3. Change the password: You can change your password in the box labeled "Password", "Passphrase" or "Shared Key".
  4. Security type: For the most secure network, you should be using wireless encryption WPA2. If WPA2 isn't an option, you may need to upgrade the router's firmware first.
  5. Save your settings.

Need additional help? Chat with our support specialist by clicking on 'Chat' from HomeNetGuard application. (Premium product version).

Open port security issue

All communication that happens over the internet is exchanged via ports.

Any internet-connected service requires specific ports to be open in order to function. However, open ports can be used by hackers to gain access to sensitive data.So closing unused ports is like shutting the door on those attacks.

However, closing open ports requires knowing which ports are actually required by the services running on a network. Some of these are universal — for example, port 80 is the port for web traffic (HTTP). Others are reserved by specific services.

So, a qualified specialist should perform the inspection of your device open ports and suggest closing them or leaving open.

For devices that are using open ports the generic recommendations are:

  • Make sure your device is updated to the latest firmware.
  • Set a strong password on devices with open ports.
  • Disconnect the device with open ports from your network if you are not using this device anymore.

Need additional help? Chat with our support specialist by clicking on 'Chat' from HomeNetGuard application. (Premium product version).