Jaipur, September 5 (Daily Kiran) : The Rajasthan Police’s Cyber Crime Branch has taken significant steps to combat cybercrime and raise awareness about cybersecurity. On September 5, the police issued a public advisory urging citizens to secure their Wi-Fi networks from hacking and unauthorized access.
Additional Director General of Police (Cyber Crime) VK Singh emphasized that in today’s digital age, Wi-Fi serves not just as a means of accessing the internet, but also as a network connecting mobile phones, laptops, smart TVs, and other smart devices in homes and offices.
Weak router security can allow unauthorized devices to connect to a network, leading to issues such as increased data consumption, reduced internet speed, data leaks, cyber fraud, hacking, and breaches of personal information. Citizens who suspect unauthorized devices are connected to their Wi-Fi can connect their mobile phones or laptops to the same network and access the router’s administration page through a web browser. After logging in with the router’s administrator username and password, users can view connected devices under options like “Connected Devices,” “Device List,” or “Attached Devices.” Any unfamiliar device should be investigated and removed from the network.
The Cyber Crime Branch has advised users to immediately change the default administrator password provided by the router manufacturer. Router settings can usually be accessed via addresses like 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. Users should also set a strong Wi-Fi password that combines uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. The Wi-Fi network name (SSID) should not unnecessarily disclose personal information or the router’s brand. The advisory recommends enabling WPA3 encryption if supported by the router. If WPA3 is unavailable, users should at least use WPA2-AES. They should avoid older, outdated security protocols like WEP and WPA.
For added security, users are advised to disable WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) and turn off the router’s remote management feature unless absolutely necessary, as this reduces the risk of unauthorized access attempts via the internet. Households using smart TVs, smart devices, cameras, or other IoT devices should consider connecting them to a guest Wi-Fi network instead of the main network. This separation can provide an extra layer of security for mobile phones, laptops, and other critical devices connected to the main network.
Users should regularly update their router’s firmware to install the latest security patches released by the manufacturer. Where feasible, users can also enable MAC address filtering/whitelisting to limit network access to trusted devices.
The Rajasthan Police has urged citizens to report any incidents of Wi-Fi tampering, cyber fraud, hacking, unauthorized access, or other cybercrimes immediately to the nearest police station or cyber police station. In cases of financial cyber fraud, citizens should call the cybercrime helpline number 1930 for immediate assistance.
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