如何提高Wi-Fi路由器的安全性？
在购买Wi-Fi路由器的时候，你很可能不会优先考虑强大的网络安全性。
After all, when we think about wireless connectivity in our homes, most of us generally care more about speed of data transmissions and how much range the router can cover.
毕竟，当我们在考虑家里的无线连接时，大多数人基本上都会更加关心数据传输的速度以及路由器的覆盖范围。
But it’s time to change our views. Network security needs to be high on our list of considerations because a Wi-Fi station is the gateway for devices to get on the internet. If your router is infected with malicious software, all your internet-connected devices become vulnerable, including your smartphone, computer, smartwatch, television and Amazon Echo.
但现在是时候改变我们的观点了。在我们的考虑中，网络安全应该排行更高，因为Wi-Fi工作站就是设备入网的关口。如果你的路由器受到了恶意软件感染，那么你所有联网的设备都容易受到攻击，包括你的手机、电脑、智能手表、电视和亚马逊Echo。
Our remedy? For starters, make sure your Wi-Fi station is always running the latest version of its firmware, or software system, just as you are supposed to keep operating systems up-to-date for your smartphone and computer. In a 2014 survey of IT professionals and employees who work remotely conducted by the security firm Tripwire, only 32 percent said they knew how to update their routers with the latest firmware.
我们的应对措施?首先，确保你的Wi-Fi工作站所运行的固件或软件系统是最新版本，就好比你的手机和电脑也应该运行最新的操作系统一样。2014年，由安全公司Tripwire在IT专业人士以及远程工作者中展开的调查显示，只有32%的人表示他们知道如何为路由器更新最新的固件。
“Most consumers don’t know to patch these things,” said Matt Watchinski, a senior director of Cisco Talos, who helped research the VPNFilter malware. “They don’t treat it like they do their air-conditioner or refrigerator, where we all know we should change the filters.”
“大部分用户都不知道如何为这些产品安装补丁，”思科(Cisco)Talos团队的高级主管马特·沃琴斯基(Matt Watchinski)说，他曾参与对恶意软件VPNFilter的研究。“他们不像是对待空调或冰箱一样，大家都知道自己应该更换滤网。”
Here’s a guide to some of the best practices you can embrace to ensure that your router — and, by extension, all your internet gadgets — is safe.
为了确保你的路由器以及由此扩展开来的所有互联网设备的安全，下面是你可以采用的一些最佳方法指南。
Even though a router lacks moving parts, it needs to be maintained with the latest security updates. Easier said than done, right? Here is a basic step-by-step for how to do that:
虽然路由器没有活动部件，但也需要使用最新的安全更新进行维护。说得容易做来难，对吧?以下便是基本的详细操作步骤：
— Consult the instruction manual for your router to get its IP address, a string of numbers that you will punch into a web browser for access to the router’s web dashboard. Jot down the number and store it somewhere safe like your filing cabinet.
——请查阅路由器的使用说明书以获取它的IP地址，你需要在一个网页浏览器内输入这串数字，由此进入路由器的网页控制台。请记下这串数字，并将其保存在安全的地方，比如你的文件柜中。
— After entering the router’s IP address into a web browser, log in to the base station with your username and password. In the router’s web dashboard, click on the firmware settings. Look for a button that lets you check for the latest firmware version.
——将路由器的IP地址输入网页浏览器后，使用你的用户名和密码登陆基站。在路由器的网页控制台中，点击固件设置。找到一个可以查看到最新固件版本的按钮。
— If an update is available, choose to install it and let the router restart. Repeat this process every three to six months.
——如果有更新可用，选择安装并让路由器重启。每三到六个月重复一次这个过程。
When you log in to your router, if your username and password are something like “admin” and “password,” you have a problem. Many Wi-Fi stations come with weak, generic passwords by default that manufacturers intend for you to change.
登录路由器时，如果你的用户名和密码是类似于“admin”和“password”的东西，就有问题。很多Wi-Fi站点默认的普通密码安全性弱，厂商想让你自行修改。
The problem with having a weak username and password is that anybody within range of your router could log in to it and change its settings, potentially opening it up to the outside world, said Dave Fraser, chief executive of Devicescape,a company that helps make public Wi-Fi networks more reliable for mobile phone service.
Devicescape公司首席执行官戴夫·弗雷泽(Dave Fraser)说，用户名和密码安全性弱存在的问题是，处在路由器信号范围内的任何人都可以登录并更改设置，这可能会导致路由器向外部世界开放。他的公司的业务包括改进公共Wi-Fi网络，让它们在移动电话服务方面更可靠。
So while you are checking for firmware updates in your router’s web dashboard, make sure to also check your security settings and change the username and password to something strong and unique. Security experts recommend creating long, complex passwords consisting of nonsensical phrases and added numbers and special characters. (Examples: My fav0rite numb3r is Gr33n4782# or The cat ate the C0TT0n candy 224%.) Write down these credentials on the same piece of paper where you recorded your IP address.
因此，在路由器的网站页面上检查固件更新时，一定要检查你的安全设置，并修改用户名和密码，改成安全性强且独特的用户名和密码。安全专家建议创建复杂的长密码，由没有意义的短语、中间插入的数字和特殊符号组成(比如“My fav0rite numb3r is Gr33n4782#”或“The cat ate the C0TT0n candy 224%”)。把它们和你的IP地址记在同一张纸上。
Even if your router still appears to work properly, the device has reached the end of its life when manufacturers stop supporting it with firmware updates, leaving it vulnerable to future cyberthreats. You can expect this to happen every three to five years. At that point, it is crucial to upgrade to a new piece of hardware.
当厂商停止提供固件更新时，即使路由器看上去仍在正常工作，它也已经到了生命的尽头，因为固件不更新会导致它将来易受网络威胁的攻击。这种情况每三到五年就会发生一次。此时，升级成新的硬件至关重要。
The best way to check is to look up your router on the manufacturer’s website and read notes about its firmware releases. If there hasn’t been a firmware update in the last year, the router has probably been discontinued.
最好的检查办法是在厂商的网站上查找你使用的路由器，并阅读有关其固件发布的通知。如果过去一年都没有固件更新，这款路由器可能已经停产了。
If it is time to update your router, check for Wi-Fi systems that offer automatic updates to spare you the headache of having to check and download updates periodically. Many modern Wi-Fi systems include automatic updates as a feature. My favorite ones are Eero and Google Wifi, which can easily be set up through smartphone apps.
该升级路由器的时候，看看那些提供自动更新的Wi-Fi系统，这样你就不必为必须定期检查和下载更新而头疼了。许多现代Wi-Fi系统都有自动更新功能。我最喜欢的是Eero和Google Wifi，它们可以通过智能手机应用程序轻松设置。
The caveat is that smarter Wi-Fi systems tend to cost more than cheap routers that people are accustomed to. Eero’s base stations start at $199, and a Google Wifi station costs $119, compared with $50 for a cheap router. For both of these systems, you can also add base stations throughout the home to extend their wireless connections, creating a so-called mesh network.
需要注意的是，智能Wi-Fi系统大多比人们熟悉的廉价路由器更贵。Eero基站的起价为199美元，Google Wifi基站的起价为119美元，而便宜的路由器只要50美元。对于这两个系统，你还可以在整个家中添加基站，以扩展无线连接，创建一个所谓的网状网络。
Another bonus? Fraser noted that more modern Wi-Fi systems should have longer life spans because the companies sometimes relied on different revenue streams, like selling subscriptions to network security services.
另一个好处是什么?弗雷泽指出，更现代的Wi-Fi系统寿命应该更长，因为这些公司有时依赖不同的收入来源，比如网络安全服务订购。
