If you are looking to enhance network security, hiding your WiFi network’s SSID is an option to consider.
However, before doing so, you should understand the potential problems that could occur because of the potential that hiding your SSID could adversely affect your network.
Coeo has helped thousands of organizations with their network security and knows how important it is to secure your network.
We want to make sure you have the information you need to make the best decision for your company when it comes to securing your network.
By the end of this article, you will know what hiding your SSID means, the three problems that could result from hiding your SSID, and other ways to secure your WiFi.
What does hiding your SSID mean?
A Service Set Identifier (SSID) is the name of your network and the way other networks and devices identify your network.
When you look for a WiFi connection on your phone, laptop, or other devices, the network names that come up as options you can connect to are the SSIDs of the available networks in your area.
Hiding your network SSID prevents your network from showing up as an available WiFi network that devices can connect to. When someone wants to connect their device to a WiFi network, your SSID will not show up for users to connect to if your SSID is hidden.
Hiding your SSID can help secure your network. If you hide your SSID, your network will be hidden from hackers, malicious actors, and devices with malware or viruses looking for networks to penetrate.
3 Problems with hiding your SSID
There are pros and cons to every solution and service. While hiding your SSID can help secure your network some problems can arise with doing so as well.
The main problems with hiding your SSID are your network not being fully hidden, difficulty connecting other devices to your network, and the potential that your network can still suffer the consequence of a cyberattack.
1. Your network is not fully hidden
While hiding your SSID can prevent strangers from finding your network, hackers are much more skilled and can find ways to identify your SSID through a variety of techniques.
Data packets carry the SSID that points to the network they come from. Because of this, a hacker simply needs a packet of data from your network to figure out your SSID.
A hacker can figure out your SSID easily through data that is leaked when you are sending out information public internet. For this reason, your SSID is never going to be fully hidden.
2. Hard to connect your devices
Your SSID will not come up as an available option for devices to connect to when searching for WiFi connections. This is good for keeping random people off your network but it can be an inconvenience when connecting your own devices.
If all of your devices are connected to the network before hiding your SSID, it won’t be an issue until you need to connect a new device.
Assuming you’re responsible for protecting your company’s network, hiding your SSID can be beneficial until you receive new work devices or hire a new employee whose devices need to be connected to your network. Then, additional work is required.
The best way to go about protecting your WiFi network is to set up two networks; a main network and a guest network.
The main network for employees is secured with a unique password and the guest network is set up for visitors or customers. The guest network can require a password depending on your preference.
3. Hiding your SSID will not prevent all cyberattacks
As explained in the first section, hiding your SSID will not completely suppress your network from all malicious actors. Your network will still need extra security measures to combat cyberattacks.
While hiding your SSID can help secure your network, it is not a foolproof plan and your SSID can still be identified. It is important to have extra security measures like firewalls and a SASE solution to better secure your network and avoid being a victim of a cyberattack.
Other ways to secure your WiFi
Hiding your SSID and relying on it to secure your network on its own is not a good technique to rely on. There are different ways you can secure your network along with hiding your SSID to ensure your network is secure.
While hiding your SSID will not single-handedly secure your WiFi, additional tools and solutions can help secure your network along with hiding your SSID.
- Change your default logins and passwords
- Set up a separate network
- Set up a firewall
Next steps to secure your WiFi network
Now you know what hiding your SSID means, the three potential problems when doing so, and other ways you can secure your WiFi. This will help you make a better decision on hiding your SSID and securing your network.
No one wants to be a victim of a cyberattack. While hiding your SSID can help secure your network it has flaws and will not simply secure your network on its own. Knowing the problems of hiding your SSID is important so you understand how to properly secure your network.
Coeo has helped thousands of customers with their network security and wants you to make the best decision on how to properly secure your network.
We want to give you information on network security so you can secure your network and avoid being a victim of a cyberattack.
If you would like to speak with our team to talk about hiding your SSID or ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment.
If you are not yet ready to talk with our team, you can read these articles below to learn more about network security:
