Because so much of people’s lives take place online, it’s more important than ever to ensure that all of your dealings over the internet are protected from those who may seek to cause you harm. However, many people aren’t aware of just what they should be doing on a regular basis to safeguard their sensitive information and bolster their cyber security.
To help you learn what measures you can and should be taking within your own personal network, here are three ways you can protect your home network from online threats.
Protect Your Router
To access the internet from your home without using the data from your phone, you’ve got to connect to your WiFi through your router.
According to StaySafeOnline.org, when your router is first installed, it comes with a default name as part of its factory settings. This is something that many tech-savvy people are well aware of, including those who might like to take advantage of this knowledge in order to hack into your router and potentially gain access to your network. But by simply changing the default name of your router, you can add another layer of protection to your home network.
Frequently Update All Passwords
To best keep all aspects of your home network as secure as possible, the smartest move you can make is to require passwords for any access.
Not only should you have strong passwords in place, but David Nield, a contributor to Wired.com, shares that you should also change your passwords on a regular basis, especially the password you use to log on to your WiFi network. When you change this password, anyone who may have gained access to your network previously will now be kicked off, offering you stronger protection for yourself.
Keep All Software Up-To-Date
As with all forms of technology, the best way you can ensure that you’re taking advantage of all the protections offered to you is by keeping any software you’re running up-to-date.
When software companies notice mistakes in their code or areas where they can improve, they’ll patch things up by making an update to the software. However, the NSA shares that you’ll only receive these improvements once you make the updates. So as soon as you notice that updates are available on any part of your home network, make sure you get them taken care of.
If you want to ensure that your internet access is protected, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how you can better protect the network that you use to access the internet when at home and keep cyber intruders from stealing any of your sensitive information or using your network for their own personal gain.
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