10 Ways Home Users Can Protect Their Data Amid Rising Cyber Threats
There’s no doubt that online cyber threats are on the rise, with sophisticated hacking software and malicious viruses infecting computer systems every day. So how can you make sure your personal information and data remain safe in such an environment?
If you own your own home network, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself from cyber Threats, including making sure your wireless router is secure and not broadcasting your SSID publicly.
Additionally, you may make sure your computers are running the most recent version of anti-virus software and frequently backup your work to an external hard drive or cloud service.
Take stock of your connected devices:
As the number of devices connected to the internet in our homes continues to grow, so do the opportunities for cyber threats to access our data. From baby monitors and doorbell cameras to gaming consoles and smart TVs, nearly every device in our homes is now a potential entry point for hackers.
The key to protecting your data is by being aware of all the devices you have connected to your home network, and make sure they are secured with strong passwords.
As more people rely on their smartphones as their primary computing device, it’s important that you take steps to secure these as well – such as locking them with a PIN or pattern code before putting them down – even if they’re just going across the room.
When securing your home network, it’s also important that you make sure each member of your family has their own unique username and password so they can be held accountable for any misuse or suspicious activity on their account.
You should also consider installing security software like an antivirus or firewall on all devices in order to block malware that could steal personal information.
Use Strong Passwords:
Using secure passwords is one of the most crucial things you can do to protect your data. How do you create a strong password? A strong password has at least 8 characters, a mixture of capital and lowercase letters, digits, and symbols, and is at least 8 characters long. Avoid using words like “password” or your child’s name, which are easily guessed.
Instead, try something like P@ssw0rd1.
Update All Software As Soon As Updates Are Available:
It’s crucial to maintain all of your software current, especially if you use it at home. Making ensuring your computer and other devices are as safe as possible is crucial given the increase in cyber attacks.
And updating the software is the first yet important step to make it happen.
Turn on WiFi network encryption:
If you’re like most people, you probably have a home wireless network that you use to connect your devices to the internet. And if you’re not using encryption, you could be putting your data at risk. Most WPA2 and WPA3 routers come with an encryption option. Make sure to turn on this feature in the WiFi settings of your routers.
You can access it with your IP address and router login credentials. When you turn on this encryption for your WiFi nework, it gets activated to encrypt any information exchanged between your wireless channel and your device.
By doing this, it lessens the chance that someone will use your WiFi network without logging in. You will need to manually rejoin all of your devices to your network after turning on this option, though.
But we think that a bit of hassle is worth it to protect your WiFi network.
Disable Remote Access:
Generally, most routers let you access your WiFi network from anywhere when you get connected to the Internet. Sure, this is a great way to manage your wireless network from another location. But it comes with a host of network security issues.
There are a great odds of data breaching if you don’t change the default router credentials, meaning that anyone can get your wireless password, and as a result, access your network.
Make sure to turn it off unless there is an urgent requirement. Otherwise, you are asking the potential threat actors to get into your wireless network. To disable this feature, check the remote access settings in the interface of your router.
The Bottom Line:
Keeping your home network safe and protected is an important step to reduce the chances of cybercrimes. Given how many of your devices are linked to the network, it is important that you take the cyber threats of your home seriously.
If implementing all of the abovementioned tips are not feasible, at least try some of them to get started. For instance, just changing the password or setting of your router can discourage more hackers who might give up after facing the first barrier of resistance.
