Can my Wi-Fi be hacked – and what can I do to stop it?

Your home Wi-Fi network and wireless router are more than just a personal gateway to the internet. It connects all your personal devices together, allowing you to access and share files and settings all across your home.

Unfortunately, this means that if someone else gets onto your wireless network, they too could access your private data, or even install malware on your computers. Here’s what you need to know about the risks, and how to shut off the potential avenues of attack.

How can my Wi-Fi and/or router be hacked?

Hacking is a fact of life. As Nigel Canning of router specialist Zyxel warns: “Anyone can be hacked – that includes the CIA, the FBI, the government – you name it.” And while your home network might not be quite as high-profile as those agencies, that doesn’t mean you’re immune.

“Shockingly, home networks are targeted every day,” warns Poppy Simpson of home networking experts Netgear. “According to the 2024 IoT Security Landscape report by Bitdefender and Netgear, home network devices face an average of 10 attacks every 24 hours.”

Home Wi-Fi is particularly at risk because it uses a very simple security model: if you know the passphrase, you can connect. This makes it quick and easy to get online, but it also means an intruder only needs one piece of information to get into your network. If they have physical access to your router they may also be able to connect by pressing the WPS button on the back of it.

Once an intruder has gained access to your network, they can reconnect whenever they like in the future. They don’t necessarily even need to come back onto your premises: they might be able to access your Wi-Fi signal from a neighbouring pathway or a car parked nearby. It may even be possible for remote attackers to exploit security weaknesses in the router over the internet – meaning they don’t need to be in or near your home, but could be located anywhere in the world.

What are the consequences of your Wi-Fi or router being hacked?

If someone gets onto your home network, one thing that’s at risk is your privacy: as Nigel Canning warns, “an intruder could snoop on any private data that isn’t encrypted.” This includes personal documents stored on your personal devices, plus details of the websites you’re connecting to and the data you’re downloading. “Hackers steal credit card details, personal data and even your identity to commit fraud,” warns Poppy Simpson. “Your browsing habits, login credentials and personal messages can be collected and sold on the dark web.”

“The other thing would be ‘man-the-middle’ type attacks,” Canning continues, suggesting hackers could hijack your internet connection and route it through their own phishing servers, or divert you to sites that download malware. That malware could itself steal data, or it might operate as “ransomware”, encrypting your personal files and demanding that you pay a ransom to regain access.

The dangers aren’t limited to phones and computers. As Poppy Simpson points out, “Hacked smart home devices (such as security cameras, door locks and thermostats) pose serious safety risks … your home network could be hijacked into a botnet – a network of compromised devices used to launch massive cyberattacks beyond your home.”

How do you know if your Wi-Fi has been hacked?

1. Unfamiliar devices in your router client list

Every router should have a management interface that allows you to view all connected devices. Give this a skim periodically, and don’t be hesitant to block any device you don’t recognise; if you later discover it’s a smart lightbulb or a kid’s toy you can re-enable it with a few clicks.

2. Suspicious programs running, or unexplained errors online

If an unexpected program appears on your computer, or if browser windows start opening by themselves, showing unfamiliar sites or confusing error messages, those are possible signs that you’ve been hijacked. “Not being able to browse in the way that you expect is a red flag,” confirms Canning. “You think you’re going to your bank or something, but because the digital certificates aren’t correct you get warning messages in the browser.”

3. A big increase in traffic, or a sudden drop in speed

Hackers may use your Wi-Fi network to make trouble for others, such as by distributing spam email or participating in botnet attacks. If your internet connection suddenly slows to a crawl, or if your router reports a huge volume of data being sent and received, that’s cause for suspicion.

Attacks like this don’t always mean your Wi-Fi has been hacked – you might have just picked up a malware infection from a dodgy download – but don’t rule it out. Don’t disregard advice from your internet provider, either. “Some ISPs notify users if unusual activity is detected,” Poppy Simpson points out. “Don’t ignore these warnings.”

What can I do to stop my Wi-Fi or router from being hacked?

The first step is to protect your network with a secure, unguessable passphrase. Most routers come with a random preset password, but this is usually printed on a label where anyone who comes into your home could see it, so it’s safest to change it.

Avoid things like your birthday or your pet’s name – these will be obvious guesses to someone who knows you, or who has been studying your social media profile. Ideally, you want a password that’s memorable to you but obscure to others, and long enough that even someone who spends hours with a computer trying to “brute force” the code won’t get it.

Needless to say, resist any temptation to (for example) write your password on a Post-It note attached to the router, where it can be seen by visitors and possibly even spotted through a window.

Secure router settings

As well as tightening up your Wi-Fi password, you should check your router’s administrative password, and make sure it’s just as strong. If it’s using a default password you should change this immediately, as otherwise a remote hacker could take over your whole network using these standard credentials. Poppy Simpson recommends also disabling any remote management options to minimise the risk of unauthorised access.

It’s a good idea to turn off the WPS button if possible too – as we’ve mentioned, this feature makes it easy for any visitor to connect their own devices. If the latest WPA3 wireless security standard is available, you should enable this as it’s more secure and harder to crack than the older WPA2 standard. Setting up separate networks – such as an isolated network for smart home devices – can also help contain potential breaches.

Finally, make sure your router is running the latest firmware to close off any known vulnerabilities, and enable the auto-update feature if it has one. If you’re concerned that your router might already have been targeted, consider performing a factory reset and setting it up again from scratch – or even investing in a new router with the latest defences and security features.