Posey’s Tips and Tricks

Choosing the right SSID for your network

Attracting attention, either with a default or funny Wi-Fi name, could lead to a security issue.

I’ve recently had a lot of new people move into my neighborhood, and I’ve been amused by some of the fun and creative names some of my new neighbors use for their Wi-Fi networks. At the same time, though, the emergence of so many new wireless networks got me thinking about the best way to choose a network name if you’re concerned about security and privacy. It’s probably fair to say that there is no such thing as the perfect SSID, and that each category of SSID has its pros and cons. Even so, I wanted to give you a few things to think about.

Including your name in an SSID
One of the most common SSID naming strategies is to include your name as part of the SSID (PoseysNetwork, for example). The advantage of this approach is of course that the SSID is easy to remember. The most obvious downside is that it positively identifies your network. If you have a tech-savvy neighbor you don’t like, then your network. Wi-Fi could be a tempting target.

There is at least one more problem with the use of your name. within your SSID. and it’s something I’ve seen many times over the years. Let’s pretend for a moment that my SSID was Posey1234 (it’s not). Think about that particular SSID from a hacker’s point of view. Posey is not a very common name, so it is unlikely that 1234 exists as a means of differentiating the network from another nearby Posey network. That being the case, 1234 probably has another meaning. For example, Posey1234 could be the first part of an email address such as (email protected). The point is that these types of SSIDs can provide information that would make it easier for someone to compromise your security.

Default SSIDs
One of the worst things you can do from a security perspective is to use a default SSID (Linksys, Netgear, etc.) or an SSID that looks like a default SSID (Cisco-921). An attacker may assume that if you are using a default SSID, then you are probably using other default or weak settings. Even if your point access does not use a default password, using a default SSID may subject your network to additional control from those with bad intentions.

Another problem with using a default SSID or an SSID that appears to be a default SSID is that this can sometimes give away information about your network. Let’s assume for a moment that I decided to call my Cisco-921 wireless network. A name like that would make it obvious that I was using a Cisco 921 router. Anyone looking to hack into this network would probably start by doing a bit of research to see if there are any known vulnerabilities associated with the Cisco 921.

Challenge accepted
When choosing an SSID, I recommend staying away from words or phrases like hackproof, classified, HackMeIfYouCan or the like. Such names are basically an invitation for anyone within range to try to compromise your network.

Creative or funny names
There are definitely some funny Wi-Fi network names in my neighborhood, some of which are borderline obscene, so I’m not going to repeat the names here. Even so, there are plenty of other creative Wi-Fi names. I know someone, for example, who lives in a neighborhood called Lake Club and uses the SSID MayorOfLakeClub. Some of the others I’ve seen include GetOffMyLAN or NoMoreMRWiFi. Of course, a Google search can reveal countless others.

It’s been said that having a funny Wi-Fi name can make your network stand out and you could attract the wrong attention as a result. Personally, I think using a funny Wi-Fi name is probably harmless, unless someone takes something you intend as a joke seriously. Names like FBI-Van or PoliceSurveillance, for example, might entice someone to dig deeper.

As I said at the beginning, there is probably no such thing as a perfect SSID. Even so, there are two categories of SSIDs that might get a little less attention than some of the others we’ve talked about.

The first category is a name that blends in with any other access point in your neighborhood. A name like StarWarsFan or GoWildcats probably won’t stand out from the other SSIDs in use in your neighborhood, and in most cases, it probably won’t be very obvious to your neighbors that it’s your Wi-Fi network (assuming they’re not a extreme fan of Star Wars or Kentucky Wildcats).

Another approach is to use a random string of characters as the Wi-Fi name. For example, you can call your network X50927B. Most people would probably glance straight past such a name. Others might assume the name belongs to a transient device, as opposed to a permanent residential Wi-Fi network.

While it’s true that some SSID names will attract more attention than others, there’s a lot more to Wi-Fi security than choosing a good SSID. The best SSID in the world won’t help you if you have a weak password and an outdated encryption protocol. Conversely, using a name like ComeHackMe might not be a problem if you really have top-notch security.