Home Wi-Fi Security How-Tos

You see an iPad; a thief sees a front door. You see a smart TV; a hacker sees a wide-open window. How do they go through such virtual openings? Wireless connectivity.

Home wireless networks make life easier and more fun by connecting PCs, tablets, phones, and smart TVs to the internet. They also make it possible for outsiders to break into our home digitally. Because there’s so much personal information on your home network — from banking passwords to family photos — it’s critical to protect it. We’ve rounded up safety tips from trusted online resources and asked University of Houston Chief Information Security Officer Mary Dickerson for advice on keeping your home network secure.

Is Your Home Wi-Fi Network Really at Risk?

You may think criminals will pass you by, but “everyone has something that is of value to someone else,” Dickerson says. Organized criminals have found big money in identity theft, which costs the U.S. economy more than $25 billion per year. For individual victims, the repercussions can last for years.

Hackers can use unprotected networks to launch attacks on other systems and to download illegal materials. “When the criminal activity is detected,” Dickerson says, “the police will assume the homeowner is responsible.” Digital criminals also breach vulnerable networks to install so-called “ransomware” to extort money from homeowners and to spy via home security cameras. Because the consequences of a break-in can be severe, Dickerson says that “it makes sense to take a little time to proactively secure [your] devices, rather than to try to recover from a compromise.”

Starting With the Basics

Start with the most commonly overlooked home-network safety steps:

• Change default passwords and settings for your internet-connected devices. “When you move into a new house, you change the locks. When you install a new device like a router or webcam, change the password and the default settings that allow anyone to connect,” Dickerson says.
• Cover or turn off webcams when not in use. One Houston family with a security camera in a child’s bedroom found a live stream of the room on the internet after a stranger in another state alerted them.
• Know every network-connected device in your home. “Homeowners should know all of the entrances and exits to their house. They should also know all of the devices inside the house that can allow network access from the outside,” Dickerson says. This includes smartphones, tablets, computers, and smart-home devices. Change the default passwords or add password protection to each one.
• Install updates and patches on all internet-connected devices as soon as they’re available. “When there are new security patches or software updates for your device, be sure you install them,” Dickerson recommends. That’s because hackers seek out unpatched systems and apps to exploit known security issues the same way burglars look for unlocked doors. Auto-schedule updates for times when you’re not using the equipment and do the same for your kids’ devices.

Taking Security to the Next Level

After you’ve taken the steps above, you can move on to more-advanced home Wi-Fi security.

• Turn on router encryption. Most routers come with the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or WPA2 encryption setting turned off, so you have to turn it on during the setup process to protect data moving over the network. If you have a router with Wireless Equivalent Protection (WEP), the Federal Trade Commission recommends replacing it with WPA2 — which it considers the strongest protection — because WEP is vulnerable to hacking.
• Make your network private. Setting your network as private prevents people outside your home from using your Wi-Fi without permission. To do this, set your wireless connections so only devices you choose can access the network. You’ll need each device’s MAC address, which a Google search can help you locate.
• Use a password-management service. Virtual lockers such as LastPass and DashLane generate more secure passwords than most of us can invent. They also store them securely so you don’t have to remember or write them down.
• Use two-factor authentication. Take advantage of two-step authentication processes when sites you frequent offer it. If you set up two-factor authentication on your email, shopping, and social media accounts, you’ll log in with a password and another credential, like a PIN sent to your phone or your fingerprint. It takes a few extra seconds, but in an age when credential theft is on the rise, experts recommend it.
• Use antivirus and malware tools. If you’re not sure which program to choose, PC Magazine publishes a yearly list of the best free antivirus programs, and many of those programs have mobile versions too. Some, including Avast and TrendMicro HouseCall, offer home-network tools that scan every device on your network. Network scans also help ensure that no unknown devices are using your network.
• Check your bank and credit-card statements every month. Tedious? You bet. But it’s worth the exercise to prevent fraud. Inquire about any suspicious transactions, even small ones. Data thieves sometimes make small purchases online to “test” stolen card numbers, guessing at expiration dates and security codes, before they go on an illegal shopping spree.
• Protect your identity. Request a free credit report every year from each of the three major credit bureaus and check each one carefully for errors. Consider a credit-monitoring and restoration service such as VerifID, available with special pricing for Texas Farm Bureau members. These services alert you to credit inquiries, fix errors that you report, and help you recover your identity if it is stolen.

Don’t fall victim to digital thieves — implement these small security changes to your daily routine. To learn more about keeping your personal information secure on social media, check out our myth-busting blog.

To learn more about home internet security and identity-theft prevention, visit the University of Houston’s Information Security portal.