Router Security

I live about 100 yards from the nearest road and my nearest neighbour. Because of this I have switched off password protection for anyone wishing to join my network. Am I missing anything?

If someone connects to your network and accesses illegal material you will find it very difficult to prove it wasn't you. Someone could also use your connection to spam emails and sites which could then result in your connection going on a block list for various providers. Or someone could connect to the network and hack your devices, get your data, bank logins, etc.

Why would you turn off the password? It isn't particularly onerous to enter a password to connect devices and it helps protects you from the above examples and potentially many other ways someone could misuse it.

In reply to a post by ponyman:

I live about 100 yards from the nearest road and my nearest neighbour. Because of this I have switched off password protection for anyone wishing to join my network. Am I missing anything?

100 yards (91 metres) is not that far to be honest, I am significantly further away from the nearest quiet country lane than that where there is no ability to stop (no pavements either), I also have to drive a lot further to my nearest neighbour and there is no way on earth I would risk turning off security on my WLAN.

In reply to a post by dect:

no way on earth I would risk turning off security on my WLAN.

With WPA2 and WPA3 it is probably faster to leave it on, the chips and software don't expect it to be off.

but what is the risk?

In reply to a post by ponyman:

but what is the risk?

Consider this question, do you leave your front door unlocked when you go out as you don't live near to a main road or neighbours?

In reply to a post by ponyman:

but what is the risk?

I mentioned a number in my post - did any of those cause you any concern?

In reply to a post by ian72:

In reply to a post by ponyman:

but what is the risk?

I mentioned a number in my post - did any of those cause you any concern?

As you say there are so many bad things people can do if they have access to your internal network.

Thank you very much for your comments.
The frightening thing is that about 25 years ago I wrote a paper on computer security in which I compared the network as the path up to the front door and stated that the important thing was to have security at the door.
I really should take note of my own statements!

In reply to a post by ponyman:

I really should take note of my own statements!

If you’re an InfoSec type have a search around these topics:
* Protection of Information in Transit
* Zero Trust
* Defence in depth