As we become more dependent on the internet as a part of our daily life, it becomes more important to protect our home wifi and ensure the network is secure from intruders. Whether it is a neighbor looking to score free internet or a hacker looking to gain access to passwords used to access your financial information, being hacked is at the best a major inconvenience and at the worst a life-altering event. Fortunately, you can ensure your wifi is secure and well protected from intruders by following these five useful wifi security tips.
Change The Name
The first thing to do when getting new wifi from an internet provider is to change the default name that comes along with the wifi. Internet providers always give homeowners a name to start, and it often has the company name, apartment number or another piece of information that might make it easier for a hacker to identify the owner. Changing it to a name that does not contain personal information, however, makes it much more difficult to hack.
Consider The Password
The person who “cleverly” sets their password as the word ‘password” often gets hacked, whereas a longer password that includes twenty or more characters, contains upper case letters, symbols and numbers is very difficult to hack. Be sure to choose a password that is impossible to guess, and consider changing it often. Also, it is encouraged to be careful who you provide the password to, limiting its use to only people you can trust.
Use a Virtual Private Network
A VPN, or virtual private network, keeps data and detailed records hidden from others outside the network through the use of encryption. As a result, even if someone were to hack into your wifi network, they would not be able to view any information, gain passwords, etc. There are many providers of a virtual private network, and getting one is relatively affordable.
Purchase a Firewall
A firewall is an internet defense that blocks the attempt of an intruder trying to gain access to your network. Most wifi comes with a built-in firewall solution, but they might be either turned off or ineffective. When receiving your new wifi, be sure to verify that the firewall is verified and no one can gain access into your network. If you do not trust the default firewall that comes with your wifi, there are secondary firewall services that provide a strong defense to ensure your network is secure.
The Bottom Line
There is nothing worse than having your wifi hacked, and it might even give criminals a chance to gain access to privileged information, including passwords into your bank account and more. The best way to prevent this from happening is to ensure your wifi is secure, which should include a custom network name, a long password, VPN and a strong firewall. By ensuring you have the safety measures in place, you and each of your family members can safely surf the web without the fear of being hacked by nearby intruders.
EXIT Realty Bob Lamb & Associates is Murfreesboro’s most innovative real estate team.
EXIT Realty Bob Lamb & Associates
2630 Memorial Blvd, Murfreesboro, TN 37129