7 Ways to Keep Your Home Wi-Fi Secure

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setting up home Wi-Fi wireless network and router
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This story originally appeared on HighSpeedInternet.com.

Just as you want locks on your front door, you also need protection for your home internet.

According to the FBI, a record-high number of scams and other crimes were committed over the internet last year. Victims lost roughly $3.5 billion in fraud and extortion cases involving acts of “phishing” and “spoofing,” or creating a fake account that resembles one of a victim’s friend or relative.

Hackers have also targeted homeowners, gaining access to private Wi-Fi networks and even smart-home security cameras to harass families and wreak havoc.

Thankfully, as the internet has gotten faster and more efficient in recent years, internet companies and device manufacturers have improved network security measures. Read on for ways to keep your home network safe.

1. Create strong passwords

Creating a strong password
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The easiest way to protect your internet is by creating strong passwords. When you have to write a new password, use a mix of letters, numbers and characters.

Come up with separate passwords for all of your accounts, devices, smart-home products and your router, instead of relying on the same password for everything.

Also, be sure to change any factory-default passwords to ward off hackers who can access them online.

You can use a password manager to keep track of them all. Basic password managers are free, while paid services give you advanced features like secure browsers and auto-fill for personal information on web forms.

Here’s a few of our favorite password managers:

  • Keeper Password Manager, $34.99 per year
  • Dashlane, free or $59.99-$119.99 per year for paid versions
  • LastPass, free or $3-$4 per month

2. Keep your router’s firmware updated

resetting router
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Your router is like the front door to your home network. Connecting to your modem, it makes an internet signal available to computers, phones and other wireless devices within the range of its signal.

A good, strong password will help protect it from unwanted intruders (including neighbors who want free internet). But you’ll also want to keep its firmware updated.

The firmware keeps the router operating smoothly, and manufacturers will issue routine updates to fix bugs and close security loopholes — making it less vulnerable to attacks.

3. Set up a guest network

Man working from home
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Some routers let you set up a guest Wi-Fi network on your account. The guest network creates a new access point to your Wi-Fi, keeping anyone who signs on a safe distance from the software and personal data they might be able to access if they were logged onto your home network.

A guest network comes in handy for these purposes:

  • Keeping your network safe from malware and viruses
  • Managing smart-home devices like thermostats and cameras
  • Letting visitors use your Wi-Fi without worrying that they’ll compromise your network

A guest network lets your friends and family sign on, but prevents your home internet from getting compromised by potential malware or viruses that could be lurking on their phones or computers. (We’re sure they’re nice people, but you can never be too safe!)

It’s also useful for running smart doorbells, thermostats, washing machines and cameras like Google Nest.

If you run them over a guest network, a hacker won’t be able to use a vulnerable smart device as an entry point into your home Wi-Fi.

4. Use a VPN

Cybersecurity worker
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A VPN — short for “virtual private network” — gives you a shroud of anonymity as you use the internet.

When you sign on to a VPN, it reroutes your activity through a separate server based in a different city or even a foreign country. This masks your IP address, so you can use the internet without worrying that you’re being watched.

VPNs are handy if you want to access sensitive data (like, say, your online bank account) while signed on to an unsecured public network.

It also keeps you safe from the prying eyes of internet providers, snooping government and potential hackers who may be lurking on public networks in your area.

And you can use geo-specific versions of streaming platforms — letting you access German Netflix or Indian Spotify — so long as your VPN has fast speeds and servers that support this activity.

These are our favorite VPNs:

  • NordVPN, $83.76 billed every two years
  • ExpressVPN, $99.95 billed once a year
  • Windscribe, free with limitations

5. Disable the Universal Plug and Play

productive remote worker
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Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a feature available on most routers, letting you automatically set up new devices onto your network.

It saves you time and potential headaches since you don’t have to punch in protocols as you configure things like printers and gaming consoles. But it also leaves your network open to security threats.

When it’s switched on, a router’s UPnP setting will automatically recognize and set up a UPnP–enabled device without requiring a password or confirmation that it’s a trusted device.

A hacker can then find your router publicly listed online and use a computer masked as an Xbox or other kind of device to gain access to your home network. Once they’re in, they can access your provider data, upload malware or use your router to stage attacks on other systems.

To keep your system safe, switch off the UPnP setting.

If you still want an option for easy configuration, try setting up UPnP-UP (Universal Plug and Play, User Profile), which requires authentication and authorization for UPnP devices. However, know that some devices may still be able to get past the UPnP-UP safeguards.

6. Keep your router’s SSID name hidden

A man is frustrated by his laptop computer while working from home
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SSID means “service set identifier” and it’s the name of your router and home network. It shows up in the drop-down menu when you click the Wi-Fi icon to select a network to sign on to.

To keep your network secure, it’s best to pick a name that doesn’t identify the type of router you have or anything about who you are or where you live. You’ll also want a router with a built-in firewall.

If you want to be extra secure, though, you can keep the SSID name hidden completely from public view. (Use your router’s instruction manual or look it up online to figure out how to do this with your specific device.)

This way nobody will be able to see that you have a Wi-Fi network operating in the area — so it won’t attract unwanted attention.

7. Cover your walls with Wi-Fi blocking paint

Couple painting a room in their home
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To ensure that no one outside your immediate household will be able to pick up on your Wi-Fi signal, you can cover your walls with paint that blocks electromagnetic frequencies.

You can also prevent your Wi-Fi signal from getting outside by putting up metallic wallpaper or decorating your house with other metal objects.

Just keep in mind that filling your house with metal and Wi-Fi–blocking paint will very likely limit your internet and cellphone signal within your home as well, so surfing the net and making calls will be really annoying and inconvenient in some rooms.

But if you want James Bond levels of internet security, it’s worth considering.

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