People set up networks within their home and businesses use them in the office. In fact, you can nearly find some type of network connection anywhere, but if you want to keep it private and secure, do you know what you need to do? There are a number of ways to achieve these, some of which will be outlined below.
For starters, you need to choose the right network name. Believe it or not, keeping something that simply has the name ‘network’ or ‘wireless’ will make it much easier for hackers to crack the security codes behind it. Moreover, setting up a long and complicated password is always an essential step.
Other considerations include making use of VPNs, using firewalls, and getting IT support.
These five tips are expanded on in the upcoming sections.
1. Choosing the right network name
The name of your network, otherwise known as the SSID or service set identifier, can affect your security. Leaving a default SSID wireless router name can make it easy for someone to figure out the WPA or WPA2 security behind it.
Remember, as soon as your network is compromised, so is your private and confidential data. Thus, you should change the name to something of your choosing, and of course, learn how to use encryption for it.
2. Long and complicated passwords
You need to make your password as strong as possible in order to further secure your network. Make a point of coming up with one that has lower and capital letters, symbols, numbers, and that moreover wouldn’t be easy to guess based on your personality.
3. Make use of VPNs
Choosing a VPN, otherwise known as a virtual private network, secures your internet connection. In other words, all of your data will be kept confidential, and it will limit hacker’s abilities to find this information. However, it's important to choose a really secure VPN because some providers can be unreliable and still leak your IP address as well as personal data despite the fact that you'll be connected to a VPN.
4. Use a firewall
Firewalls can protect any system from security breaches, and it thus acts as a defense system. It is seen as a wall or barrier within your network and those that impend on your security.
A firewall can moreover tell you if a network you are trying to join is not secure, advising you that you shouldn’t connect to it.
5. IT support
IT experts will always have the answers for you in terms of how to set up your VPN properly, what you can do to monitor your network, and most importantly, they can do all of this for you. If you are a business, it is essential that you hire IT professionals who will provide you with support, such as those from Torix, that can also offer you a reading as to what needs to be done.
Remember that no matter what you are using the internet to search for, you will always have an easier time completing your work knowing that your security is prioritized.
Keeping your network secure is one of the most important things you can do in order to protect your data. Something as simple as changing the name of it can make a big difference, although there are countless other steps and considerations, some of which have been listed, that you should be mindful of.
The takeaway, at the end of the day, is that you also shouldn’t neglect doing this, whether it’s for business or personal reasons.