In a survey conducted by broadband service provider Konnect, over 4 million people were found hacking neighbors’ Wi-Fi, if there was a down or to avoid paying a fat subscription fee.
A study that included a response from about 2000 respondents also confirmed that on average a hacking person was found using the internet of their neighbor without permission for a time frame of 52 days, while over 20 people were found using the connection all year long.
Technically, using an internet connection of a neighbor without permission is called ‘Piggybacking’ and is usually done to avoid subscription fees. In some situations, the web is only used if a connection goes down. But in most cases, that is over 35% of respondents were found using the internet without the knowledge of their neighbors.
Konnect survey says its study not only found people using internet connection fraudulently. A few of them cited the reason for visiting McDonald’s and other public places to download movies, games, or TV shows.
“People usually expect a reliable and consistent web connection in this digital age. But it was found in our study that millions of households are still using the low-priced connections to cut down their monthly budget and hacking others’ internet to quench their online needs of watching TV shows, staying active on social media channels, and watching newly released movies online”, said James Soames the Marketing Director of Konnect.
Only 1% of them agreed what they did was wrong and assured that they will get a connection for themselves by Christmas. Others said they are using resources and opportunities as they strike them in life.
Most of the participants in the survey agreed they hacked their neighbor’s router by using password guess, the hacking router from the basic skills available on YouTube, or by using the tech minds of friend’s n family members.
So, what’s the best way to keep your Wi-Fi router safe and well protected from neighbor hacks
- Change the default router password
- Use a password that is filled with alpha-numeric characters and tucked with 1- 2 special character
- Always use a password that is 14-18 characters long as it takes approximately 18 years for a hacker to guess such a password with permutations and combinations
- Never disclose a password to anyone or publicly write it and stick it on the paper
