Keep reading to learn about the consequences of insecurely sharing your WiFi password, ways to securely share it and best practices for sharing it with others.
The risks of insecurely sharing your WiFi password
When guests visit your house for the first time, one how to build phone number list of the first things they might ask for is your WiFi password. Here are several insecure ways you could share your WiFi password with friends, family or other guests:
Leaving your WiFi password on a sticky note
Sending it via unencrypted methods, such as emails or text messages
Sharing it in a group chat on a messaging app
Saying it during a phone call
Showing guests the default password on your router
Imagine inviting a few friends over to watch a movie, and they ask for your WiFi password. You may have never changed your WiFi network’s default password, or you might be using a very weak WiFi password because it’s easier for people to type. Regardless of how secure your WiFi password is, sharing it with your friends through a group chat, individual text messages or email can leave your router vulnerable to hacking. Since emails and text messages are unencrypted, a cybercriminal could intercept your messages, revealing your WiFi password.
With your password, a cybercriminal could access your WiFi network, launch a malware infection and potentially infect other Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected to your network. By sharing your WiFi password via text with one of your friends, you risk a cybercriminal gaining unauthorized access to your WiFi network and potentially spying on you through any devices with cameras that are also connected to it.
