How a hidden Wi-Fi network name can give away your data to strangers | Kaspersky official blog

For more than two decades now, setting up a home router has meant going through the same old routine: pick a Wi-Fi band, name your network, choose a security type, and set a password. After you type in your network name, you often see an option next to it to hide the network name — sometimes labeled hide SSID , or simply hidden or closed network .

If you choose this option, the network you create won’t show up automatically in the list of available Wi-Fi networks on any smartphone, computer, or smart-home device — you need to type in the correct network name by hand. Only then will the device be able to find that network and connect to it.

At first glance, hiding your wireless network’s name might seem like a smart precaution: keeping neighbors or passersby from hacking into your Wi-Fi since they simply can’t see it.