Is your internet messing up, or are you having a strange experience with it that made you suggest that it has been hacked? If this is your case, then you are on the right page. In this article, I will reveal to you how to tell if someone is messing with your internet and possible things you should do to prevent hackers from gaining access to your internet connection.

As you already know, hackers are out there, and they are always looking for means to hack into our internet connection just to gain access to our private information, steal our data, and use them for their fraudulent goals. So, how can I tell if someone is using my internet? Read the information below to know how.

How to Tell If someone is Messing with Your Internet or It Has Been Hacked

If a total stranger has access to your internet connection, and your devices, it simply means it has been hacked. The internet messing up issues are definitely caused by a hacker, and he has gained access to your Wi-Fi or router.

Also read: How to Keep Your Home Wi-Fi Safe From Hackers

How to Check If My Internet is Hacked

If your connectivity device (e.g. a router) is been hacked, there are chances that you might not even notice until something extremely wrong happens. However, below are some easy signs that indicate that your internet connection, computer, or router has been hacked.

Consistently Slow Internet

If you are using a broadband internet connection, there are chances that you might have slower connections from time to time, especially when more users are online or using the connection at the same time. But an internet speed that is consistently below what it should be, on the other hand, is a red flag.

Consistently slow internet speed can be a result of hackers using your internet or PC to log a portion of your bandwidth to their bidding. This involves uploading data from your devices to their servers or using your PC as part of a botnet to infiltrate better-protected networks.

Also read: How to Speed Up Internet Connection on Windows 11 With Easy Methods

Your Credential Stopped working

The first thing a hacker does after gaining access to a router is to change its credentials to something known to them alone. By doing this, the owner gets locked out of the device, which restricts him from making any administrative changes without resetting the router. If you are trying to change your Wi-Fi settings, and you run into problems logging in, then there are possibilities that it has been hacked.

More Devices are connected to the Network

.if you want to know how to tell if someone is stealing your internet or if more devices are connected to your router, carry out this check. Log into your router (if you still can) and run a scan to detect all devices connected to the network. Routers are designed in a way that they cannot hide a user from the administrative view, even if they remain unnamed. You can check the devices displayed, and compare them with the ones you have. If they are more than the usual network users, it simply means that an intruder has gained access.

Browser Searches Go Wrong

The network router is one of the principal parts of the DNS routing system. DNS routing turns the URL you enter into a browser into a server address where the information you need resides. When your router gets hacked, the hacker can change the DNS table or server link present in the router to another one and change the endpoints you are accessing.

Most times, the new DNS will contain various phishing websites. The purpose is to store and retrieve your account information for the actual platform, then use them to provide access to their services, like bank information.

You Receive Ransomware Messages

Ransomware messages are another good indication that your internet has been hacked. Although the actual pathway the hackers took might not be through your internet router, it is still better to be safe than sorry. You will need to reset your router and then apply more stringent security. Whatever you do, do not pay the ransom since it might not even affect the outcome in actual decryption attacks.

Unfamiliar Software on the Devices

When your router is hacked, attackers can actually have access to any device that is logged on to the network. This enables them to download additional malware applications on those devices, which will monitor, store, and upload any sensitive information their user’s access. Browser toolbars, odd-looking antivirus software, and random pop-ups on the screen are the most common byproducts of these programs.

Losing Control of Your PC

One of the most complex forms of interference that can happen when someone gains access to your device is remote access. This enables the hacker to directly control what is happening on your PC in real-time. They can access any confidential files and passwords you stored on the device, and eventually lock you out of your data.

By the time you notice this form of attack, it means that your passwords have been compromised long ago, and you will need to reset everything. The first step you need to take is to disconnect the PC from the internet, thus severing the connection, and reset the router.

Now you have known how to tell if someone is messing with your internet, let me now show you the steps to get your routers secured.

How to Secure Your Router from Hackers

There are possible ways to make your router secure from attacks. However, some simple protection methods will only make the process complicated enough for most hackers to give up due to waste of time. Maintain the following to keep your router and internet connection secured.

Reset the Password Periodically

Resetting the credentials of your router and your Wi-Fi password periodically will keep it fresh and most likely, cease any ongoing attacks. When a router is reset, it reverts to its default information from when it first came out of the box. The default password is weak and should be changed immediately.

Keep the Router Firmware Updated

Some routers require manual firmware updates while others can perform the update process in the background as long as they are connected to the internet. If your router requires you to download the update separately, then you should always do it.

Disable Remote Management and WPS

Remote management settings were designed to make a user’s life easier, by streamlining connectivity and support. However, the internet vulnerabilities discovered these years have introduced a new light on security and prevention methods. Since these systems are obsolete and rarely used, you should disable them till when they are needed. When you need a technician to check your device, you can then re-enable Remote Management.

Use Antivirus Software

Although antivirus programs do not really protect routers, they can add an extra layer of protection against intrusions. Also, popular antivirus programs keep updated databases with known security risks and can disperse the patch to the router or the PC as soon as possible. With an antivirus, your PC is safer against hackers even if they gained access to your router and the network.

Conclusion

Attackers will always be out there looking for networks to unleash their terror. Reading to this extent, you must have learned how to tell if someone is messing with your internet. So, is your internet messing up? You now know what to do. Kindly share this piece of information before you leave.