How to safeguard your Wi-Fi network

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Every internet user today faces security threats from viruses, malware, worms, rootkits, etc. The intensity of threats and chances of getting infected increases if you are connected to the web via Wi-Fi network. In a bid to protect yourself from these threats it is important that you protect your Wi-Fi network to stop the entry of malicious objects into your PC.

This article offers you simple but effective tips using which you can avert threats that target your Wi-Fi network. Using these suggestions you can easily stop malicious programs or other stuff from using your network for illicit purposes.

Find below the tips that help you safeguard your Wi-Fi network:

Use of updates and patches

The first step towards making Wi-Fi connection secure and safe for browsing is to ensure that you are updating the PC with appropriate patches and updates for antivirus programs, operating system and browser. By installing updates and patches you prevent those vulnerabilities with the software and program that can be otherwise exploited by threats. You should apply the same tactics for the devices that are logged on to the Wi-Fi network.

Updates and patches play an important role in ensuring the security of the Wi-Fi connection because it stops viruses and malware from drawing undue benefit of the lapses in the software including OS and browser. So make it a thumb rule to essentially use updates and patches and keep your software updated.

Enable password protection

Do you know that by protecting your devices or network with a strong password you mitigate the chances of hacking and virus attack? So if you haven?t protected your network with a strong password do it immediately and block the channels of threats that can infect your PC via Wi-Fi network.

It is the common tendency of all the Wi-Fi users to choose a weak password for the routers which affects the Wi-Fi security adversely.

So choose a strong and difficult to guess password invariably to protect your router. To add another layer of protection to your Wi-Fi network you should encrypt your password.

Always chose an alphanumeric password in the combination of special characters. You should avoid using personal information like your name, date of birth, surname etc in the password. It is understood that older devices may not be compatible for using WPA2 network so in such cases you should use WPA to encrypt the password. WEP is not appropriate for the security of the device. In case you are forced to use WEP because of the older make of the device, make sure you are changing the password on frequent basis.

Consider changing the SSID

Majority of the routers sold in the market are offered with a default SSID or Service Set Identifier. For example, with routers from Linksys often carry ?linksys? as the default SSID. For the better protection of the router you need to change this default SSID before the active use of the router. When you change the default SSID to custom then remember not to set anything that is related to your personal information like name, surname, date of birth, etc. Take it seriously and create SSID which is something unique and long.

MAC address filtering

This tip is applicable to Mac devices. As you know that the IP addresses for Mac devices are invariably unique on the network. Some routers have been designed to improve the security of Mac devices. By using these routers in the network you can filter Mac addresses in order to reduce the number of Macs that you can use in that particular network in legitimate manner. This is helpful especially if you are having multiple Mac devices.

By using the above mentioned tips you can successfully prevent most of the threats that can attack your Wi-Fi network to steal information and privacy. These tips become more important if your PC is carrying vital or business-related data losing which can cost you heavily.

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