Your home router is a little piece of equipment that you probably don’t think about that often (as long as it’s working). It’s time to change that mindset and strengthen your home cybersecurity! Don’t worry, I’m going to guide you through steps you can take that aren’t scary at all.

Are you wondering why it’s worth the effort to keep Mr. Creepy from using your internet? Here’s one yucky scenario: if your WifI is unprotected, Mr. Creepy can hop on your network and access illegal websites, leaving you to talk to the police because it was done through your network.

Or Mr. Creepy gets onto your network, and access other devices connected to it - devices like your work computer, or your home computer with sensitive financial info. And then that info gets sold on the dark web, causing you all kinds of headaches. So let’s tighten up your cybersecurity!

First, turn your attention to your router password. Yes, your router has a password! Most routers are set up by your internet provider, and still use the default manufacturer password. You need to change this from the manufacturer settings, and set a unique password that only you know. It sounds intimidating, but if you go to Google and search your brand of router and “change passwords,” I promise you will find a step-by-step YouTube video or article that will walk you through the steps.

Second, time to check on your WIFI network name and password. This network name is also called the SSID, so if you see that term, don’t worry. I'm sharing a couple things to keep in mind when choosing a network name.

Finally, I want you to make a list of all the devices currently connected to your WIFI network and verify that you want them connected and that they have automatic updates turned on. I even have a quick shortcut you can take!

And remember, you don’t have to complete all these steps right this minute, so don’t feel overwhelmed. Just get started and work your way through over time - the additional cybersecurity to protect your family or business is worth the effort!

Takeaways from this episode:

1. The technical words around router and WIFI security sound intimidating, but you can learn these simple cybersecurity steps to take to protect your family or business.
2. Three important actions I’m highlighting today are changing your router password, strengthening your Wifi network security, and checking on your devices to ensure they are as secure as possible.
3. If you don’t know how to change a setting on your router, google the router name plus what you want to do, and you’ll find a YouTube video or article to help! 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

'See who's on your WIFI' PC Magazine Article:

https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/see-whos-on-your-wi-fi

If you'd like to learn more about cybersecurity and online identity protection, you can connect with me on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-mantilia/

To protect your company against cyber crime, you can now book me for cybersecurity training:

https://bit.ly/3CtZKzD

To keep your family protected online, learn more about our Identron Identity Theft Protection software:

http://bit.ly/Identron