Top 3 Measures to Ensure Network Security at Home |
Posted: December 7, 2018 |
A fast and reliable broadband connection is a basic necessity these days. Almost all of our daily activities depend on a smooth-running internet setup. Whether we have to send important emails or check the home security live feed, we need a stable broadband network, like Charter internet, to have our back. One of the most important components in a broadband matrix is the ‘router’. This technological device accepts data packets from the source modem and then transmits the signals/data traffic ‘wirelessly’ to the connected client devices. The thing about routers is that they can be easily hacked. People can log on to the main network grid of a house using illegal means and tap into the bandwidth stream that is supplied to the client devices by the home router. This means that any malicious activity done by these Wi-Fi poachers can be traced back to your router, putting you in uncalled for trouble! So, it becomes crucial to secure your router against such cyber-attacks to prevent yourself from becoming a victim. Lucky for you, this article will list the top measures which you can easily implement in order to strengthen the safety of your home network. Check them out below. Passwords of SteelJust like the ‘Man of Steel’, your home network passwords should be hack-proof. But before that, you need to understand the importance of password protection. For starters, a password guards the network stream against possible intrusion. If your router doesn’t have a strong password and offers an unprotected Wi-Fi connection, then it’s similar to leaving your front door wide open for burglars to come in and loot all your valuables. So, one, always protect your network (router + Wi-Fi stream) with a password. Two, the password should not be a simple dictionary word that’s predictable, but a complex combination of uppercase & lowercase letters, symbols and numbers. And three, keep on changing the passwords regularly to ensure maximum security. WPS Be-Gone!WPS or ‘Wi-Fi Protected Setup’ is a security standard, which supposedly makes adding new wireless devices to the router’s network faster and easier. It works in one of these two ways. Either you enter the eight-digit PIN code that’s usually pasted on the bottom of the said router or you push a button that’s on the side of the router and be instantly connected. This Wi-Fi standard may sound convenient, but it is known to carry a hack-able flaw in its system. For instance, any visitor could come to your house, push the button on the side of a WPS-supporting router and be synced with the network forever. Think of all the damage he or she could do with this instant access! So, it is super important that you fix this problem by simply disabling the WPS option by going in the router’s setting menu. And if your router doesn’t support WPS by default, then consider yourself lucky. Plan B SSIDMost people tend to have a single SSID or ‘Service Set Identifier’ (the name assigned to a wireless network) on their router. This counts as their primary channel. But what smart individuals do is that they create an additional SSID, as a ‘Guest Network’. This measure segregates the main network flow and creates a minor channel, which can be allotted for secondary activities. For instance, you can connect your smart home devices over the guest network. This way, if they’re hacked, your main SSID network channel will remain protected. It’s a good backup plan. Other measures include turning your router off when it’s not in use and keeping the device up-to-date by installing regular firmware security fixes etc. So, do take care of your home’s network security by heeding to the aforementioned tips. You won’t regret it. Trust me.
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