Our increasingly technological world is now full of a number of gadgets and devices that need internet connectivity. Our increasing dependency on the Internet to connect all of our devices has opened the door to a number of risk and poses a variety of security issues regardless of whether it is our computer, mobile phone, refrigeration, TV or baby monitor.
Many people may not know how reliable the
devices can be, unless they are sufficiently secured by a secure Wi-Fi network.
We never wish to leave the front door open to our house but the unsecured use
of our Wi-Fi networks opens up the same security risks.
Hackers are opportunistic and able to use any
security lapse to launch a target attack. When hackers are able to enter your
home network, they can steal personal and financial information and infect your
devices with malware and viruses, commit cybercrime, or launch a DDOS assault.
It is necessary to secure your home network in
order to defend and prevent attackers.
How to Safeguard Your Wi-Fi Home network
There are a variety of steps you should take to secure your home Wi-Fi and protect it from hackers:
1. Update Default Password and Username
The first and most important thing to do to
protect your home Wi-Fi network is to secure the default username and password.
These default online passwords are easily
identified by Wi-Fi providers who can automatically add a username and
password to the network. If you can access the network, you can change the
password, lock out the owner and hijack the network.
Changing your username and password will make
recognition of what Wi-Fi it is difficult for attackers to access the network.
Hackers have sophisticated tools to evaluate thousands of potential usernames
and password combinations, so a good password mixing letters, figures and
symbols is necessary to make the hacking more complicated.
2. Enables Encryption of the Wireless Network
Encryption is one of the easiest ways to
safeguard your network information. Encryption works by scratching the data or
message contents so that hackers cannot decrypt it.
For your Home Wi-Fi network, WPA2 is the most
secure encryption type. You might not be WPA2 compatible if you have old
equipment up to 10 years old, so updating your home equipment for improved
safety and performance is necessary.
See your network settings and check wireless
properties to decide if your router uses WPA2 encryption. This allows you when
you enter a wireless network to select the best encryption process.
3. Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A VPN is a network to communicate in a private
way through an unsecured, non-encrypted network. A VPN encrypts your data in
order to prevent a hacker from asking you what you do online or where you are.
A VPN can also change your IP address, which
means that you are using your device other than your home address. It can also
be used on a laptop, mobile or tablet as well as a desktop.
4. Hide From View Your Network
You are initially asked to create a
publicly recognizable network name for your home network or an SSID
(Service Set ID) when you start up your home network. Most devices are
configured using a manufacturer-assigned default network name. If your neighbors have
a computer from the same manufacturer, then it is also a fair chance that they
will be the same SSID that could be a security nightmare, unencrypted by both
networks.
SSID hiding is a feature that allows you to hide
your network name from the people in the region. It's so much harder for a
hacker to know what router you have by changing the default name that the
attack risk is smaller.
5. If Not At Home, Switch Off Your Wi-Fi Network
It seems easy but if you aren't at home, one of
the best ways to defend your home network from attacks is to disable it. It
doesn't take 24 hours a day, seven days a week for your home Wi-Fi network. If
you are away from home, turning off your Wi-Fi eliminates the chances of
opportunistic hackers seeking to break into your home network.
6. Keep Your Router Software Up To Date
To secure your home's network security, Wi-Fi
software should be modified. The router firmware will contain vulnerabilities
hackers would like to exploit, as can any other form of software. Much routers
do not have an auto update option so that your home network is covered by
manual updating of the software.
7. Please Use Firewalls
Most W-Fi routers have an integrated network
firewall to avoid network attacks by intruders and protect broadband
connections. They also have the option to be disabled, so you have to verify
that the firewall of your home router is activated to add another defensive
layer to your home protection.
8. Place the Router in the Center of Your Home
Often the homeowners do not know that their router
position will affect protection. If you put your router next to a door or
window it raises the risk of a malicious individual intercepting your Wi-Fi
signal. In order for home wireless connections to enhance security, it is best
to position your Wi-Fi router as close to your home's center as possible.
9. Enable MAC Address Filtering
The physical address or Media Access Control
(MAC) will be the sole identification of most broadband routers. This address
is designed to increase safety by reducing the number of devices to which the
home network can be connected. Householders can type MAC addresses of all
devices in their homes, restricting the network to allow only connections from
these approved addresses. This offers a new degree of protection for hackers to
be kept in place.
10. Disable Remote Administration
The remote administration of the router also
helps hackers to access a home network connection. Remote management allows
anyone close to your home to access your Wi-Fi settings or to alter them. It's
better to disable this option when you don't have to remotely connect to your
Wi-Fi router. You can do so by accessing the Wi-Fi control section and pressing
the Disable button.
