How To Secure Your Home Wi-Fi Network

How much reliance do you place on your home Wi-Fi? If you’re like most people, you use it for online banking, credit card payments, hotel reservations, chatting with friends, and watching movies. That’s a lot going on.

In many cases, everything from laptops and phones to home security systems, thermostats, and air conditioners is linked to home Wi-Fi.

This is advantageous. However, if not protected, your home Wi-Fi network can become a haven for scammers, hackers, and other cybercriminals. A minor flaw in your home Wi-Fi network can grant a criminal access to nearly all of the devices that connect to it. Scammers and hackers may gain access to your online bank accounts or credit card portals. They may be able to intercept emails you send to your doctor. They may also infect your devices with malware and spyware.

Fortunately, you can keep cybercriminals at bay by securing your home Wi-Fi network with a few simple steps. Here are some important tips for protecting your home Wi-Fi network from unauthorised access.

Create a secure Wi-Fi password

The first thing to change once logged in is the Wi-Fi password. This is critical if you believe your current password is insecure. A simple one, like 12345678, is bad. Because most of us will only type the password once, a complex password is recommended. It makes guessing and brute-forcing extremely difficult. You can make one, and there are password generators available. Choose a password that combines numbers and alphabets in both upper and lower case.

Change the default name of your home Wi-Fi

First, modify your home Wi-Fi network’s SSID (service set identifier) or name. Many manufacturers assign a default SSID to all of their wireless routers. In most cases, it is the name of the company. When a computer searches for and displays nearby wireless networks, it lists each network that broadcasts its SSID publicly. This increases the likelihood of a hacker breaking into your network. It is preferable to change the network’s SSID to something that does not reveal any personal information, thereby deterring hackers.

Use a strong password for your router

Wireless routers are typically pre-configured with default passwords. Hackers can figure these out, especially if they know who made your router. As a result, changing your password as soon as possible aids in home router security. You can usually do this by using your browser to connect to the router’s management interface – the address should be the router’s default IP address, which can be found on the bottom sticker or in the setup guide.

A strong password is at least 12 characters long, preferably more, and contains a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. It is a good idea to change your password on a regular basis – every six months or so – for a secure home network.

Improve your Wi-Fi encryption

Encryption is a critical component of any Wi-Fi-protected setup. Most wireless routers include encryption, which is usually turned off by default. Enabling encryption on your home router can help secure your network. There are four common types of Wi-Fi protection systems used to secure transmissions so that only the user’s device and the Wi-Fi router can read the transmission’s contents.

They are:

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA 2)
Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA 3)

Because they are newer and more secure, WPA 2 and WPA 3 are the better options for those wondering how to secure Wi-Fi. Brute force attacks are possible with older WPA and WEP versions.

Consider creating a guest wireless network, also using WPA 2 or WPA 3, and protecting it with a strong password if your router allows it. Visitors should use this guest network: friends and family are unlikely to want (or need) to hack your network. Nonetheless, they may be using compromised or infected devices before connecting to your network. A guest network can help to improve the security of your home network.

Disable network name broadcasting

It is strongly advised that you disable network name broadcasting to the general public when using a wireless router at home. When nearby users attempt to connect to a Wi-Fi network, their device displays a list of nearby networks from which they can select. However, if you disable name broadcasting, your network will not appear, making your Wi-Fi connection invisible to those who do not know where to look. This feature is useful for businesses, libraries, hotels, and restaurants that want to provide their customers with wireless internet access, but it is unnecessary for a private wireless network, such as your home Wi-Fi network.

Update the firmware on your router

Updating your software, including your router firmware, is a good cybersecurity practice. Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities in older firmware. Some routers allow users to check for firmware updates via the management interface, and a few may offer automatic updates. You can also check the vendor’s support website to see if there are any updates for your router model.

News stories about major virus attacks can sometimes trigger firmware updates. The emergence of a severe attack will prompt router manufacturers to review their firmware codes to ensure that their equipment is not vulnerable to the new attack. If it is, they will issue a security patch, necessitating the need to stay current.

Ensure that you have a good firewall

A “firewall” protects computers from malware, viruses, and other potentially harmful intrusions. Wireless routers typically include built-in firewalls, but they are sometimes shipped with these firewalls disabled. Check that the firewall on your wireless router is turned on. If your router lacks such a firewall, make sure you install a good firewall solution on your system to protect your wireless network from malicious access attempts.

Allow only specific devices to connect to the network

Routers can also be set to allow only known devices to connect to the network. This is known as MAC filtering. Once you’ve connected all of your devices, this is a good practice. This feature may not be available on all routers, so double-check. It is known as Access Control in some models and Wireless MAC filter in others. Essentially, you select the devices connected to your router based on their MAC or IP addresses. The routers list all of the devices so that they can be easily added. Remember that if you decide to buy a new device, such as a tablet or smartphone, and connect it to your network, you may need to return to this interface to either temporarily disable the MAC filtering feature or manually add the new device’s MAC details.

Turn off remote administration

We’re currently accessing the router via remote administration to change settings, but it’s also possible to access it via the internet if we’re not careful. Most routers allow you to specify whether or not users in remote locations can change settings. If left unchecked, users from the internet may attempt to break into your home network. This feature should be accessible via the Administration menu. Some routers allow you to specify which IP addresses have administrative access.