If you are working from home in this current situation then having a secure network is likely very important.
Buzz wireless are here to provide some handy cyber security tips to keep your network safe and secure. Some of these steps may be drastic for you and don’t guarantee 100% protection. It is your decision to make whether you follow these steps or not, it could depend on what your network holds and how important security is for you and your household.
Make a complicated router password
The simplest way to implement cyber security is to use a complicated password. Nothing personal or similar to your other passwords – there are many online password generators you can use which will keep it entirely random.
Make sure to change it regularly e.g. every month. Using a unique one each time.
Limit the knowledge of your password. Don’t give it out to anyone who comes over – offer to input it yourself.
Change the network name
Change the SSID of your network so that it doesn’t give away the router brand or model. This can give hackers the information they need to detect the networks around them and attack yours. Use something bland and avoid using personal info like your street name.
Limit WPS
WI-FI Protected Setup offers easy ways to get new devices to recognize the network and connect to the router e.g. Apple products option to share password.
WPS is a security weakness, the code method is easy to crack and could leave an open door for hackers. So if it is necessary to use this feature then be extra vigilant.
Keep the router firmware up to date
It seems simple enough but just checking its update once a month could protect your network.
Allocate static addresses
This step is a little technical and you may find it hard to implement. All devices on your wireless network have an address. This is called an IP address and it must be unique. Your computer’s IP address is only unique on your private network. Therefore, the router uses one as well and that represents you on the internet.
Your router allocates an IP address to each of your device on the network through a system called the “dynamic host configuration protocol,” or DHCP. It is easy for hackers to manipulate DHCP to allocate themselves a network address, making them very difficult to spot as they aren’t logically linked e.g. ‘Dads_PC’ its more like ‘ID139PC’.
For a step by step process on how to create static addresses for your network, check here.
You can also implement a guest network for separate non consistent users.
Turn off the router
If you are away for long periods e.g. holiday, then make sure to turn the router off. The fewer hours that your Wi-Fi system is active the less vulnerable it is.
Keep your devices healthy
The devices using your Wi-Fi give a route for viruses and hackers, make sure to keep your equipment up to date to reduce risk e.g. use virus protection software.
For any other questions or specific queries about Buzz Wireless products – Contact our support team at – 0800 037 5555
Buzz Wireless accepts no liability as result of advice given in this article. We would always advise seeking advice from one of our technical team prior to install if you have specific worries about security.