We were as shocked
as you could be right now when we learned that there is a hack
happening every 39 seconds. That is just too fast a time frame
for us.
Now that many
people are spending more time at home due to the pandemic, more home hacks and
attacks have been reported. After all, your home network is what you are now
using to access your sensitive accounts right now. For some who have to work
from home, it is also the same network that they use to access their work
servers.
With that alone,
you can see why hackers are extra motivated.
You don’t have to
fall victim to them, though. Not if you do any of the following.
Secure your router
Your internet
router is the first point of call. That is the unit to which almost all (if not
all) of your internet-enabled devices are connected to. It is, thus, one of the
first points of call for a hacker looking to breach your entire network.
We recommend
changing the name of your router altogether. You can choose something funny,
generic, or personal, but it should not contain the original name of the
router. Some hackers are savvy enough to go check online records for default
passwords which many router companies use on their products. Knowing the name
of your router, they could also exploit known vulnerabilities in such router
firmware to hack you.
See Also: 8
Tips to Improve the Wi-Fi Signal of Your Home
That said, also
change the default password on your router to something more secure. Your
passwords can usually be as long as you want. Better still, use a password
generator to create a secure password – and store it in a password manager.
Secure your Units
An unnamed casino
was once hacked in the most ingenious of ways. Even though every other system
in the casino was kept secure, a smart
thermometer for the aquarium provided the backdoor for those
hackers.
Taking control of
the smart thermostat, the hacker proceeded to infiltrate the network further
till they went to the main computers. Here, the database containing a list of
high rollers and other such data was stolen. What that will be used for is
anyone’s guess at this point.
Such an occurrence
lends more credence to the fact that a chain is only as strong as its weakest
link. Thus, even your printer on the network needs to be kept safe.
Unfortunately, not
all of these connected devices have an interface for you to set passwords on.
To keep them all secure, you should set up a home VPN router.
This encrypts all the data coming in and out of all of the connected devices.
That way, hackers cannot hijack your conversations, intercept files or breach
the data stream.
Install Antivirus software
Antivirus software
is still very much relevant in today’s cybersecurity landscape.
Hackers can send
malware over your network into your devices, especially when you are using an
unencrypted network. Connecting an infected unit (such as external storage
device, smartphone, etc.) to your computers could also introduce a virus.
See Also: Basic
Cybersecurity Rules to Ensure Online Safety for Internet Users
It is more
frightening to note that most viruses will not kick into action the instant
they infect your computer. They can lie dormant until the attacker feels it is
time to advance their actions. In other instances, the software can silently
record your data and send it back to the hacker’s server. No matter how you
look at it, it is not good.
If you download a
lot of files from the internet, you must never do without an antivirus program
either.
With one of these
in tow, you are better prepared against such dangers whenever they happen.
Conclusion
There is never anything as being too prepared against a data breach. But you can be ill-prepared. With the tips above, we assure you that you are never ill-prepared against most data breaches and hacks that could be coming your way via your home network.
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