Imperial Valley Press

Securing your network

Creating a safe home Wi-Fi environmen­t

If you’re like most people, you likely use your home internet to pay bills, shop online, send emails, watch movies and more. With everything from smartphone­s and laptops to security systems and thermostat­s connected to your home’s Wi-Fi, protecting your network is vital to keeping your personal informatio­n secure.

Much the same as you lock your front door to help protect your valuables inside, ensuring your wireless network is secure can help safeguard personal informatio­n like account passwords and credit card numbers and protect your devices from cyber threats. Consider these tips to create a secure online environmen­t.

UNDERSTAND SECURITY PROTOCOLS

By understand­ing different Wi-Fi security protocols, you can make informed decisions to protect your network and prevent unauthoriz­ed access. There are several protocols available, including WEP (wired equivalent privacy), WPA (Wi-Fi protected access) and WPA2 (Wi-Fi protected access 2). WPA2 is currently the most secure option and should be used whenever possible.

SET A STRONG PASSWORD

By setting a strong Wi-Fi password, you can significan­tly reduce the risk of unauthoriz­ed access to your network. Your password should be long, complex and unique. Avoid using common words or easily guessable combinatio­ns. Consider using a combinatio­n of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.

ENABLE NETWORK ENCRYPTION

Network encryption adds an extra layer of security to your Wi-Fi network. Encryption scrambles the data transmitte­d between your devices and the router, making it unreadable to unauthoriz­ed users. To enable network encryption, access your router’s settings and look for the encryption options. Choose the strongest encryption protocol available – either WPA2-PSK (pre-shared key) or WPA3 – and enter a strong password to ensure your network is protected from eavesdropp­ing and unauthoriz­ed access.

ENHANCE NETWORK SECURITY

MAC Address Filtering is an additional security measure that can help prevent unauthoriz­ed devices from connecting to your Wi-Fi network. Every network device has a unique MAC (media access control) address, which can be used to control access to your network. To set up MAC Address Filtering and create a whitelist of allowed devices that can connect to your network, access your router’s settings and enter the MAC addresses of the devices you want to allow in the filtering section.

UPDATE ROUTER SOFTWARE

Router manufactur­ers regularly release firmware updates to fix security vulnerabil­ities and improve performanc­e. To update your router’s software and reduce the risk of unauthoriz­ed network access, check the manufactur­er’s website or your router’s administra­tion interface for available updates. Follow the instructio­ns to download and install the latest firmware.

Find more cybersecur­ity tips to protect yourself online at eLivingtod­ay.com.