How To Secure Your Home Wi-Fi Network

Wi-Fi in your home allows you to connect to the internet wirelessly. Unfortunately, it could also allow others nearby to connect to your network, which gives them access to see what you do online, including your personal information. Your home network might have a range of wireless devices on them, from computers and phones to security cameras, smart TVs and connected appliances. If anyone uses your network to commit a crime or send illegal spam, the activity could be traced back to you. Learn these tips from the FTC on how you can secure your home Wi-Fi.

1. Encrypt your network

   Encrypting scrambles the information sent through your network. That makes it harder for other people to see what you’re doing or get your personal information. You encrypt your network by simply updating your router settings to either WPA3 Personal or WPA2 Personal.

2. Change your router’s default passwords

   Some routers come with generic passwords out of the box. Hackers can easily find and guess these passwords, so it’s important to change them to something more complex. Make sure to change both the Wi-Fi network password and the router admin password.

3. Keep your router up to date

   Before you set up a new router or make updates to your existing one, visit the manufacturer’s website to see if there’s a newer version of the software available for download.

4. Set up a guest network

   Many routers let you set up a guest network with a different name and password. This is a good security move as it reduces the amount of people that have your primary Wi-Fi network and password. It also reduces the chance of one of your guests unknowingly having malware on their device and it getting into your primary network and devices.

5. Log out as administrator

   Once you’ve set up your router or are done changing settings, don’t forget to log out as administrator. When you’re logged in as administrator, you can change passwords and otherwise manage settings that control the security of your network. If a hacker got into your administrator account, they could easily get into your network and devices.

We’re here to help keep you informed, especially when it comes to spreading awareness about online privacy and how to protect yourself. For more topics about ways you can protect yourself, check out these security topics on our Learning Center.