Top 5 Wi-Fi Security Tips For Your Home

If you think your home won’t fall victim to a cyberattack, you’re wrong.

Many people wake up in the morning, giving no thought to their home’s Wi-Fi security. What possible interest could a hacker have in their home network? Then, one day, they find their digital identity has been stolen, that their bank account is empty, that a webcam revealed to burglars that their home was empty, and their home computer pretty much bricked.

That’s no way to come home from work.

And if you’re someone working from home, things could even get worse. A hacker could follow your network connection back to your workplace and infect the network there. If you’re working in banking or health, you could find yourself running up against regulatory compliance violations resulting in hefty fines and job loss.

Sounds like a nightmare, right?

The good news is that it doesn’t need to be that way.

Here are five, easy to enact tips that will go a long way to keeping your home Wi-Fi secure and save you all those headaches, heartaches, and expense.

1. Create an inconvenient password

There’s no excuse to be lazy when creating a Wi-Fi password. In most cases, you only have to enter it once for each connected device, so it’s not like it has to be something you can quickly remember like a Netflix password. Take the time to create an inconvenient password.

Mix it up. Combine upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters if allowed. Avoid using any words, names, significant dates, or sequential numbers. That simply makes brute-force password cracking easier.

After you’ve created a password made up of a jumble of seemingly random characters, write it down and put it someplace safe and private. Don’t store this information on a phone that could get lost or stolen, and don’t slip it underneath a computer keyboard.

Some people I know write down the information on a piece of paper, then slip it into a favorite book in their bookcase. If crooks have gotten so far as to break into your home, ransack your bookcase, and check each volume for a slip of paper, then you’ve more immediate problems than a cracked Wi-Fi password.

Finally, if you’ve allowed a guest to log in to our Wi-Fi but don’t want them to be able to reconnect later, you’re going to have to change your Wi-Fi password. If you have the option, look into creating a guest Wi-Fi account, so you don’t have to reset every device in your home later.

2. Stay on top of updates

Makers of software and hardware are continually improving security, fixing vulnerabilities, and improving performance. When a patch or update notice appears, take action sooner than later to install it and keep your tech current against all potential threats.

You can set your devices to install updates when available automatically. If you find that the manufacturer no longer supports a piece of software or hardware, consider switching over to tech that is adequately supported.

3. Who and what’s on your network?

Many routers have a management option that allows you to view what devices have connected to your Wi-Fi recently. This information can usually be accessed through your web browser, and it’s worth your time to review recent activity. Consult your router’s manual for details on how to do this, or visit the router manufacturer’s website.

As for the Wi-Fi review, are there any unrecognized computers or devices showing up? Has a neighbor or recent visitor you allowed to access your Wi-Fi still connected? Are there home devices such as baby monitors, webcams, or smart home devices connected that shouldn’t be?

Take an audit.

Disconnect devices that don’t belong. As for rogue computers or devices sitting nearby but not in your home, go ahead and change the Wi-Fi password. That will also stop other devices from logging in automatically.

4. WPA2 encryption instead of WEP

If you think your home network is secure using WEP encryption, think again. This system was cracked years ago. At a minimum, look into applying WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) for data protection and network access control. It gives you users a high level of confidence that only approved users will access your Wi-Fi.

If your router does not support WPA2, get a newer model that does.

5. Secure your IoT devices

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to devices and appliances that are not so much computers but smart devices such as webcams, climate controls, refrigerators, smart speakers, video doorbells, and the like that connect to your Wi-Fi network and operate independently.

Here are some quick tips for bolstering your IoT security:

• Consult manuals or manufacturer websites to learn how to operate, configure, and update your IoT devices properly,
• Change all default passwords.
• Only connect IoT devices you need to have online. Turn off items when not in use.
• Monitor the amount of data you are sharing on your Wi-Fi.
• If possible, assign your IoT devices to a ‘guest’ network.

Whether it’s for your home or office, computer security is something that needs to take seriously. The consequences of failing to protect your Wi-Fi can be both time consuming and expensive.

A few simple steps can go a long way in keeping you from having to deal with any of that nonsense.

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