Cyber security is of significant importance in today’s era of digital integration with day-to-day activity. The internet has become an integral part of our lives – it being one of the primary ways that we access knowledge, news, entertainment, etc. Nearly everyone has a smartphone in their pocket, and often browse the internet in their free time or at work. Companies like TechQuarters, an IT support provider from London, put a lot of emphasis on cyber security for work – as the ramifications of a cyber attack can be devastating for an organization. But a lot of people do not put much emphasis on cyber security at home, thinking that they aren’t at risk; but the reality is that you wouldn’t want to find out.
According to TechQuarters, there are a number of best practices for browsing the internet that can keep you safe. What is more, there are several network security measures that you can take, even if you’re not an IT expert. The number of devices that the average person buys, which can connect to a Wi-Fi network, and so its important to do as much as you can to protect that network with all those endpoints linked together through it. As mentioned above, these measures can be done by anyone – the steps are simple enough that they can be found online easily:
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Customize Network Name & Password
One of the easiest ways in which you can protect your network is by changing the default name and password of your Wi-Fi router. This can be done by entering the IP address of your router – which can usually be found in the settings of whichever operating system you are using – into the URL of your web browser, and you will be presented with the settings of your Wi-Fi and router.
The reason you should do this is because most routers come with default names and passwords which can be looked up by anyone if they research carefully enough. Once someone else gets hold of your Wi-Fi credentials, they can start changing settings themselves, and even lock you out of your own network.
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Home Guest Networks
Most modern Wi-Fi routers have a feature for creating a guest network – this is basically a separate login to gain access to your Wi-Fi network. This guest network will not have admin authority to change your Wi-Fi settings, and it also hides any devices or shared folders that might be connected to your primary network.
The benefit of doing this is that if you are in a situation where you do need to give someone access to your internet, you can do so without giving away your primary network credentials. It is best practice to restrict access to your network, as someone might want to trick you into giving them your credentials, and guest networks are a great way to protect yourself further.
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Use Wi-Fi Network Encryption
Many modern routers also have the capability to encrypt data sent between your Wi-Fi network and your device. This is a very good step to take, because unencrypted data can be monitored by external parties without needing to log into your network.
Encrypting your network can be done via the settings that you access by entering your router IP address into your URL, so this is another measure that is quite easy for the average person to enable; and doing so adds a great layer of protection that most people don’t ever consider when they browse the internet at home. Most data that gets transferred between a user’s device and their Wi-Fi network is mostly harmless; but there may be valuable information in there as well – it is best to err on the side of caution, and encrypt your entire network.
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Router Firewalls
A firewall is a type of software- or hardware-based solution that is capable of monitoring web traffic on a network, detecting suspicious and potentially dangerous activity, and block it from access a network. This is an excellent solution for preserving safe browsing, and the good thing is that most modern routers have firewall options pre-loaded onto them. However, these options are not usually turned on by default. This means that users have to turn them on themselves – this can also be done by using the router’s IP address to access the necessary settings.