Almost 90% of residents in the USA have access to the internet, which equates to over 293 million connected users, according to recent data. With such a large number of people accessing information, playing games, and shopping online, WiFi has become an essential part of most households.
When guests come to visit they may request access to your WiFi and while it is nice to share, there are some security risks to consider. Without proper safety precautions, your WiFi can become an open door to your home.
Here are our top tips for keeping your home WiFi secure in 2020, so you and your guests can surf the web without fear of identity theft or data breaches:
Have Strong Passwords
Visitors often need downtime and want to stay in touch with friends back home, so providing guests with WiFi access is a must. An open network may be tempting when you have guests over for ease of connection, but a password is always the No. 1 security measure. A strong password should be a mix of upper and lower case characters, numbers, and symbols.
It isn’t just your WiFi password that should be changed, but your router password too. Read the user manual found with your product to learn how to update this. The generic logins are common targets for thieves and forgetting to change them could lead to information loss.
As an extra precaution, you may want to change the passwords again once your guests have left. As a rule of thumb, strive to update your passwords every three to six months.
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Check the Encryption
When your WiFi has encryption you will have an added layer of protection as any messages are scrambled. Encryption has evolved over time and the original WEP that launched in the 90s was replaced with WPA when flaws were discovered. Now, WPA2 is the new standard as it will give you the highest level of encryption.
Unfortunately, older routers and accessories may only have WEP or WPA, and these will only give you minimal protection. Check your network settings to make sure you have WPA2, and upgrade if you need to.
Upgrade Software and Hardware
Disconnect Unused DevicesThe more devices that are connected to your WiFi, the higher the risk of someone penetrating your network. If you or your guests are not using the internet, you should disconnect or turn off the devices.
With a house full of people, this method will also help your WiFi perform better as there is no unnecessary drain or background downloads. Going away? Turn off your router completely until you get home.
Keep Your Home Safe
These days, it isn’t just physical break-ins we have to be worried about, as digital break-ins can be just as devastating. When guests come to visit, it is a nice gesture to share your WiFi but your security precautions should still be implemented.
Strong passwords, encryption, and updated software and hardware are just some of the ways you can keep any data in your home safe.
